By now, you likely know about the HEIC image format. If not, HEIC is a relatively new image format that takes about 40% lesser space than the popular JPG image format without compromising on the picture quality.
Because HEIC takes about half the space of JPG, Apple started using this lesser-known image format in their iPhones and made the image format popular overnight.
Apple iPhone devices running iOS 11 or later have the option to save captured pictures in HEIC instead of JPG to save space. If you own a 32 GB or 64 GB model iPhone, it makes sense to enable and use the HEIC image format on your iPhone. While iPhone 7 and later versions can automatically convert HEIC to JPG while transferring them to your PC, you might want to keep the original picture format to save disk space on your PC as well. But how do you open those HEIC pictures on a Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 PC, as the format is not supported?
Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 do not support HEIC image format out of the box as the HEIC did not exist back then. In fact, Windows 10 1709 and earlier versions did not support HEIC image format. Microsoft brought support for HEIC only with version 1803 (April 2018 Update for Windows 10), which was released in April 2018.
Open HEIC pictures in Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1
If you are still on Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 for some reason and want to open and view HEIC/HEIF image format on your PC, you have no option but to go for third-party tools.
CopyTrans HEIC is a free plugin for the Windows operating system to enable PC users to open and view HEIC/HEIF pictures with ease. The good thing is that you can open HEIC/HEIF in your default picture viewer (Windows Photo Viewer in Windows 7 and Windows 8) once the CopyTrans HEIC is installed on your PC. Besides, it will also enable thumbnails for HEIC pictures in Windows Explorer (it did not work for us, though).
The software not only enables you to view HEIC/HEIF pictures but also allows you to convert HEIC to JPEG when required. To do that, right-click on a HEIC/HEIF image format and then click Convert to JPEG with the CopyTrans option.
As said earlier, CopyTrans HEIC is a must-have software for iPhone users who often backup and view data on Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 PCs.
Please note that you won’t be able to open HEVC videos even after installing CopyTrans HEIC plugin on your PC.
Visit the following link to download the latest version of CopyTrans HEIC.
Mal says
Thanks, CopyTrans HEIC for Windows works as described via windows explorer via Win 7 for me.
Rick says
Typical “Free Program,” like VLC, steals your computer! Thanks for posting the issues! I won’t install this POS! Too bad the default is some BS new format instead of offering it a choice / option. Leave it to Apple to alienate their own loyal base (loyal for who knows why?) yet again! And yet again, 90% of the devices / machines in the world have to deal with the “elite, over-priced, over-hyped and over here” 10%! I find it humorous that Mac users run Windows on their expensive contraptions just so they think they look cool because they have a Mac! What a f**king joke!
John O'Flaherty says
I used to open all my .jpg & .png files in “Microsoft Office Picture Manager”. Now that I’ve downloaded this program to open HEIC files, it forces everything to open using “Windows Photo Viewer”.
I hate that program. It is not as functional as MOPM. I can’t even go into the “Set Associations” menu in the “Control Panel” and change them back to MOPM. Even if it says MOPM, it still opens everything in OPM… even .jpg & .png.
Not good. How do I use the .HEIC viewer in “Microsoft Office Picture Manager”, and more importantly, how do I stop the program from hijacking .jpg’s and .png’s (which used to open in the Picture Manager just fine); and forcing them to open in Photo Viewer?
Not good that a program that’s supposed to help, is changing my chosen custom setting for my computer.
Mari says
If you cannot open videos after installing CopyTrans HEIC plugin… is there another way to view them? I am hesitant to download because I have jpegs and videos! [Please note that you won’t be able to open HEVC videos even after installing CopyTrans HEIC plugin on your PC.]
Lisa Marie Bochenek Lerner says
I don’t want you to give out personal information to a 3rd. Party…. .