Why Won't My iPhone Photo Open on Windows? (Fixed)
You transferred some photos from your iPhone. Double-clicked to open one. Windows says it can't.
"How do you want to open this file?" Or maybe just a blank preview. Or an error about unsupported formats.
This is frustrating the first time it happens because nothing seems obviously wrong. The file is right there. It's a photo. Why won't it just... open?
The short answer
Your photo is in HEIC format, not JPG. Windows doesn't natively understand HEIC files, so it doesn't know what to do with them.
Apple started using HEIC as the default photo format back in 2017. Every iPhone photo you've taken since then (unless you changed the settings) is a .heic file. Apple devices handle these fine. Windows... doesn't.
Why Apple uses a format Windows can't open
It's not malice, it's just that Apple optimized for their own ecosystem. HEIC files are smaller and higher quality than JPG. Great for iPhone storage. But adoption outside of Apple has been slow.
Windows 10 and 11 can technically support HEIC if you install an extension. But even then it doesn't always work for everything you might want to do with the image.
How to fix it
You've got a couple options.
Option 1: Convert to JPG
The most reliable fix. Convert the HEIC file to JPG and it'll open everywhere.
You can do this in your browser without installing anything. Drop the file, get a JPG back. Works every time.
Option 2: Install Windows codec
Microsoft has a "HEIF Image Extensions" package in the Store. Install it and Windows Photos should be able to open HEIC files.
To find it:
- Open Microsoft Store
- Search "HEIF Image Extensions"
- Install
Honestly this works sometimes and doesn't other times. Even when it works, you might need to also install "HEVC Video Extensions" which costs a dollar. And even then, other apps on your computer still might not recognize HEIC.
If you just need to open a few photos, the converter route is faster and more reliable.
Preventing this in the future
You can tell your iPhone to save photos as JPG instead of HEIC:
Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible
Now new photos will be JPG. The trade-off is they'll take up about twice the space on your phone.
Alternatively, you can keep HEIC on your phone but have it auto-convert when transferring:
Settings → Photos → Transfer to Mac or PC → Automatic
This way you get the storage benefits of HEIC but still receive JPGs when you move files to your computer.
The bigger picture
This whole situation is annoying, but it's temporary. HEIC is genuinely a better format than JPG and eventually Windows and everything else will support it properly. We're just in an awkward transition period.
For now, converting when you need to is the path of least resistance. Takes a few seconds and then you can move on with your life.