HEIC vs JPEG: which photo format should you use?

Since 2017, iPhones have saved photos as HEIC instead of JPEG by default. It's a smarter format that keeps photos looking great at a much smaller size — but it doesn't open everywhere. Here's how the two really compare, with real numbers.

The short answer

• Keep HEIC for photos that live on your iPhone, iPad and Mac — you get the same-looking photos using much less storage.
• Use JPEG when you share photos with people on Windows, upload them to websites, or send them to services that might not accept HEIC.

How much smaller is HEIC?

We saved the same photos as JPEG and as HEIC with TinyPresso's default settings:

Across a photo library of thousands of pictures, savings like that add up to many gigabytes.

Where each format works

What about quality?

Both formats shrink photos by throwing away detail you're unlikely to notice. The difference is efficiency: at the same file size, HEIC keeps more detail — or, put the other way, it reaches the same look in fewer bytes. For everyday photos you won't see a difference between a good JPEG and a good HEIC; you'll just see different file sizes.

How to make your iPhone use JPEG

• Shoot in JPEG: Settings → Camera → Formats → choose Most Compatible. New photos are saved as JPEG (and take more space).
• Keep HEIC, transfer as JPEG: Settings → Photos → Transfer to Mac or PC → choose Automatic. Photos are converted when you copy them to a computer.

Converting photos you already have

Got a folder of HEIC photos someone can't open? Select them all, drag them into TinyPresso, choose JPEG, and press Compress — they're converted and compressed in one go, without uploading anything. For a few files you can also use our free HEIC to JPG converter. It works the other way too: converting JPEGs to HEIC is a quick way to save space — a 577 KB JPEG became a 249 KB HEIC in our test.

Related guides

• How to convert HEIC to JPG on a Mac
• WebP vs AVIF vs JPEG for websites
• How to compress JPEG files on a Mac

FAQ

Is HEIC better quality than JPEG?

HEIC is more efficient: it reaches the same look as JPEG in a smaller file. For everyday photos a good JPEG and a good HEIC look the same, but the HEIC file is much smaller.

How much smaller is HEIC than JPEG?

In our tests the same photo was 39% to 53% smaller as HEIC than as JPEG, using TinyPresso's default settings.

Should I change my iPhone from HEIC to JPEG?

Usually not. Keep HEIC to save storage, and set Settings > Photos > Transfer to Mac or PC to Automatic so photos are converted when you copy them to a computer. Switch the camera to Most Compatible only if you often need JPEG files straight from the phone.