HEIC is smaller and higher quality than JPEG — and it's a compatibility headache on Windows and older software. The good news: you can move HEIC files to your PC untouched, keeping full resolution, EXIF and GPS, and only convert when you actually need to.
Transfer HEIC files as-is with a byte-perfect tool like PhotosMove — no conversion, no recompression, EXIF and GPS intact. If your PC can't open HEIC, install the free HEIF/HEVC extensions on Windows (macOS handles it natively), and only convert copies to JPG for specific uses like sharing or old software.
HEIC (High Efficiency Image Coding) is the modern image format that Android phones and iPhones shoot by default. It stores the same image at roughly half the size of JPEG, supports 10-bit color, and can bundle depth maps and Live Photo data. The catch is compatibility: Windows needs a codec, some Linux setups need a package, and many web services still transcode or reject it.
| Decision | Keep HEIC original | Convert to JPG |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | exactly as shot | recompressed (lossy) |
| EXIF / GPS | fully preserved | often dropped by converters |
| Live Photo / depth data | preserved | lost |
| File size | ~half of JPEG | larger for same quality |
| Compatibility | needs codec on Windows | works everywhere |
The robust strategy: archive the HEIC originals (byte-perfect, on your PC) and generate JPG copies only when a specific service or app demands them. You never lose the source.
| PhotosMove | USB / MTP | Cloud backup | Email / chat apps | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HEIC kept byte-perfect | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠️ may transcode | ❌ often converts |
| EXIF / GPS preserved | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠️ | ❌ |
| Reliable at scale | ✅ | ⚠️ MTP risk | ⚠️ slow | ❌ tiny batches |
| Keeps folder structure | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Integrity check | ✅ SHA-256 | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Copy the DCIM folder over USB; the files arrive as stored, HEIC included.
Let the cloud app upload, then download on the PC.
Send photos to yourself via WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat or email.
Transfer HEIC byte-for-byte over local Wi-Fi into one ZIP, verified with SHA-256.
If you want a local Wi-Fi solution with no PC software and no cloud upload, PhotosMove is designed for this use case.
Install PhotosMove and tap start. HEIC files are included exactly as stored on the device.
Same Wi-Fi, enter the 4-digit PIN from your phone.
The streaming ZIP contains your HEIC originals; the SHA-256 check confirms nothing was touched.
PhotosMove computes a SHA-256 checksum locally in your browser and compares it with the transfer manifest — green means every file arrived byte-perfect.
libheif / heif-convert) for the viewers you use.-define heic:preserve-orientation), never the original.EXIF is the metadata block baked into every camera image: capture date and time, GPS coordinates, camera model, lens and exposure settings, orientation, and thumbnails. It's what lets your library sort photos by date, show them on a map, and rotate them correctly — and it's also what many converters silently strip.
Three practical consequences:
So: transfer HEIC as-is for your archive, and convert copies only where compatibility demands it — never as your only copy.
Not out of the box. Windows 10/11 need the free HEIF and HEVC extensions from the Microsoft Store. macOS has native HEIC support since High Sierra.
It can. Many converters drop GPS, orientation, camera and timestamp metadata, and some recompress the image. Keep the HEIC original; convert only copies.
Yes — a byte-perfect transfer keeps the HEIC exactly as the camera produced it, EXIF and Live Photo data included.
Older services don't support HEIC and either reject it or transcode it, losing quality and metadata. A local HEIC original protects you from that.
PhotosMove — free, open source, byte-perfect, no cloud.
No account · No cloud · No PC software