HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format)
HEIF is a modern image container that stores images (and image sequences) using HEVC or AV1 compression. It delivers the same visual quality as JPEG at roughly half the file size. HEIF supports depth maps, alpha channels, HDR, and image derivations in a single file.
MIME Type
image/heif
Type
Binary
Compression
Lossless
Advantages
- + 50% smaller files than JPEG at equivalent quality
- + Supports 10-bit HDR, depth maps, and alpha channels
- + Multiple images and derivations in a single file
- + Native on iOS, macOS, and modern Android
Disadvantages
- − Limited support on Windows and older Android versions
- − HEVC codec has patent licensing complexity
- − Not universally supported by web browsers
When to Use .HEIF
Use HEIF on Apple devices for space-efficient photos; convert to JPEG or PNG when sharing with systems that lack HEIF support.
Technical Details
HEIF uses the ISO Base Media File Format (ISOBMFF) to store one or more images compressed with HEVC (H.265). It supports 10-bit color, alpha channels, image sequences, and derived images (crops, rotations) without duplicating pixel data.
History
The Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) standardized HEIF as ISO/IEC 23008-12 in 2015. Apple adopted HEIF (with HEVC) as the default photo format in iOS 11 (2017), bringing it to mainstream consumer use.