HEIC Compressor
Initializing... drag & drop files here
Supports: HEIC
Advanced Options - Our defaults are optimized for the best results. We recommend you keeping the defaults unless you have a specific need.
Reset to defaults
Need help?Compress HEIC Online — Free, No Watermark
To compress HEIC, upload your iPhone HEIC photos to our servers, lower the quality setting, optionally resize the dimensions, and click Convert. The output stays in HEIC format — smaller files, no watermark, no sign-up, and files are deleted after a few hours.
Real result: in our production data the median HEIC drops ~75% (a 4.4 MB HEIC → ~1.1 MB) at a quality setting that stays visually clean.
How to Compress HEIC Images Online
- Upload Your HEIC Files: Drag and drop or click "Add Files" to select HEIC photos straight from iPhone, iPad, or any folder. Batch is supported — drop in an entire camera roll export.
- Pick a Compression Mode: Choose a quality preset (Highest → Lowest), target a percentage of the original size, or set an exact size in KB/MB. Each photo auto-scales to hit the target.
- Optionally Resize: Pick a resolution preset, scale by percentage, or set width × height. Lowering pixel dimensions (e.g., 4032×3024 → 1920×1440) is what actually reduces file size — the DPI metadata tag alone has no effect on encoded file size.
- Compress and Download: Click Compress. Files process on our servers — download individually or as a ZIP. No sign-up, no watermark, no account required.
Why Compress HEIC Files?
HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is Apple's default photo format since iOS 11 (2017). It already uses HEVC / H.265 compression, so files are 30-50% smaller than JPG at the same quality. But a 12 MP iPhone shot is still ~2-4 MB, and iPhone Pro models shooting at 48 MP in standard HEIC mode can produce files of 25 MB or more. (Note: Apple ProRAW is a separate 12-bit DNG-based format with a .dng extension — it is not HEIC and cannot be compressed by a HEIC compressor.) Common reasons to compress HEIC further:
- iCloud storage limit — The free 5 GB tier fills up fast at 3 MB per photo. Compressing the camera roll buys months of headroom without deleting memories.
- Email and messaging caps — Gmail allows 25 MB attachments, Outlook 20 MB, WhatsApp 16 MB per file, SMS/MMS often 1 MB. A handful of full-res HEIC shots blows past these limits.
- AirDrop / sharing to non-Apple users — Compressing before sharing is faster than waiting on a slow Wi-Fi transfer of 50 MB of photos.
- Cloud photo services with size caps — Google Photos free tier, Dropbox free, OneDrive free — all benefit from smaller originals.
- Long-term archive — Backing up a multi-thousand photo library to external drive: 30% size savings = hundreds of GB recovered.
HEIC vs JPG vs WebP — Format Comparison
| Format | Size at same quality | Compatibility | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| HEIC | ~50% of JPG | iOS, macOS, Windows 10+ (with extension), modern browsers | iPhone photos, lossless re-saves |
| JPG | 100% (baseline) | Every device, every app, every browser | Universal sharing, printing |
| WebP | ~70% of JPG | Modern browsers, Android | Web embedding, smaller than JPG |
| PNG | 200-400% of JPG | Universal | Lossless, transparent, screenshots |
If a recipient can't open HEIC, convert to JPG instead of just compressing.
Compression Mode Quick Guide
| Mode | What it does | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Quality preset | Tunes image quality from Highest → Lowest | You want a one-click result |
| File size percentage | Output = N % of input (e.g., 50%) | You want predictable shrinkage across many photos |
| Exact target size | Output ≤ X KB/MB | You're hitting a hard cap (email attachment, upload limit) |
| Resolution | Lower pixel count (width × height) | Photo will be viewed on-screen only — lowering pixel dimensions is what reduces file size |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I reduce HEIC file size?
Lower the quality setting in the compressor, and resize the photo if it's larger than your display size. HEIC is already efficient, so even modest quality cuts help. For wider compatibility, convert to JPEG instead. Upload to our servers, adjust the settings, and click Convert.
How much can I compress a HEIC file without losing quality?
HEIC is already heavily compressed (HEVC), so the reduction headroom is smaller than for JPG or PNG. Expect 20-40% file-size reduction at "Medium" quality with no perceptible loss. Going lower than 50% quality on a HEIC starts to introduce visible blocking, especially in skin tones and gradients. For more dramatic shrinkage, drop the resolution (e.g., 4032×3024 → 1920×1440) or convert to a more compressible format like JPG.
Will compressing affect the Live Photo or Depth data?
Live Photos and depth maps are stored as separate streams inside HEIC. XConvert compresses the still image stream — the Live Photo motion clip and depth data are not preserved on download since the output is a single still image. If you need the Live Photo intact, share via AirDrop or iCloud Link instead of compressing.
Can I compress multiple iPhone photos in a batch?
Yes. Upload as many HEIC files as you want — there's no quantity limit. The same settings apply to all uploads, or you can adjust per-file. Files compress in parallel and download individually or as a single ZIP.
Why is my HEIC photo so big if HEIC is supposed to be small?
Modern iPhones shoot at very high resolutions: iPhone 14/15 Pro at 48 MP in standard HEIC mode can produce 20-30 MB per shot; regular 12 MP HEIC = 2-4 MB. HEIC compression is efficient relative to JPG at the same megapixel count, but raw resolution still dominates file size. Lowering resolution to 12 MP or 6 MP often gives bigger savings than tweaking quality.
Should I compress HEIC or convert to JPG?
Compress HEIC if your audience uses iPhone, iPad, modern Mac, or Windows 10+ with the HEIF extension. Convert to JPG if you're sharing with Android users on older OS versions, embedding in old document formats, or uploading to a service that rejects HEIC. JPG is universally readable but ~2× larger at the same visual quality.
Does HEIC compression strip EXIF data (location, date, camera settings)?
No. EXIF metadata is preserved by default — date taken, GPS coordinates, camera model, exposure settings all survive compression. If you want to strip metadata before sharing for privacy, use the JPG converter which has an option to remove EXIF.
Can I shrink a HEIC to a specific size like 500 KB for an upload form?
Yes. Use the "Exact target size" mode and set 500 KB. The tool auto-scales quality and resolution to hit your target across batch uploads — useful for application forms, photo ID systems, or any service that enforces a strict size cap.
What's the difference between HEIC and HEIF?
HEIF is the broader file standard; HEIC is one container variant inside it that uses HEVC compression. Apple uses.heic as the file extension. They're the same format for practical purposes — XConvert handles both.