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EstherMom's avatar
EstherMom
Bronze Contributor
Feb 28, 2025
Solved

HEIC image extension not working on Windows 11, are there any heic extension alternatives?

Hello everyone, help! Recently I transferred some HEIC photos from my iPhone to my Windows 11 computer, and I realized that the HEIC image extension suddenly stopped working, and double-clicking on ...
Application Management
configuration
  • Barbarank's avatar
    Barbarank
    Feb 28, 2025

    I had the same issue—my HEIC photos suddenly stopped opening on Windows 11, showing "Unable to open this file." Reinstalling HEIF Image Extensions didn’t help, and paying for HEVC Video Extensions is just absurd! 

    I found a better solution—TuneBro HEIC Converter. It opens HEIC files without extra extensions and allows batch conversion to JPG/PNG with no quality loss. No more Windows HEIC headaches—highly recommend! 

    I followed this tutorial: https://www.reddiite.com/bulk-heic-to-jpg

     

wsophia's avatar
wsophia
Bronze Contributor
Feb 28, 2025

I have also encountered this problem. The HEIC image extension on working on Windows 11  😤. After trying various methods, I finally found two more reliable HEIC image extension alternatives, sharing them with you!

Method 1: Use IrfansView to open HEIC directly (recommended)
This software is much better than the extension that comes with Windows! The steps are very simple:

  1. Download IrfasnView (it is available on the official website, completely free).
  2. Install the HEIC plug-in (IrfsanView comes with a plug-in package, you can directly view HEIC after installing it).
  3. Directly open HEIC pictures, no need to toss Windows HEIC image extension!


✅ Advantages: Directly open HEIC, no need for additional format conversion, fast speed, support batch operation.
⚠ Disadvantages: Need to install software, but much more reliable than Microsoft's extension.

 

Method 2: Convert HEIC → JPG online (no installation required)
If you only use HEIC occasionally and are too lazy to install software, you can try online conversion:

  1. Open heictsojpg.com or cloudsconvert.com directly.
  2. Upload HEIC files and download JPG in seconds. Compatible with all Windows computers.

✅ Advantages: No need to install software, can be used at any time.
⚠ Disadvantages: Batch conversion is more troublesome, and files need to be uploaded (not suitable for privacy-sensitive people).

If you need to open HEIC frequently, IrfansView is recommended. If you only use it occasionally, online conversion is the simplest heic image extension alternatives! Give it a try, I hope it can help you! 😆

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