The complete guide to iPhone photo formats

What format your iPhone uses

Since iOS 11, iPhones save photos as HEIC by default. It is a good format. A HEIC photo is about half the size of a JPG at the same quality.

The catch is compatibility. A lot of software outside Apple's ecosystem still can't open it.

HEIC is a container. Next to the main photo, it can store thumbnails, metadata, transparency and extra image data. An everyday photo may not use all of that, but the format has room for more than a single flat JPG.

In Settings > Camera > Formats, the High Efficiency option saves photos as HEIC. Most Compatible saves them as JPG. Changing this only affects new photos. It does not convert the photos already in your library.

HEIC vs JPG

Think of HEIC as the more efficient format and JPG as the one that opens everywhere. Most people should shoot in HEIC and convert to JPG only when something won't open it.

On quality, converting a HEIC photo to JPG once, at 85 percent or higher, gives a result that looks the same to the eye.

The quality percentage is an encoder setting, not a standard unit. So check detailed areas such as hair, leaves, text and smooth gradients. A high quality export can look the same at normal size and still be a lossy copy of the original.

When compatibility matters

Government portals, print shops, older website builders and Windows tools cause the most trouble. If a form rejects your photo, check the format first.

Sometimes the upload works and the problem shows up later. A site may accept the file but fail to make a preview, read its metadata or pass it to the next step. For an application with a deadline, use a format the site lists as accepted.

JPG is usually the safest format for sending photos. PNG makes sense when you need exact pixels or transparency. For normal photos, PNG makes the file much larger and can't bring back detail lost in an earlier conversion.

How to convert HEIC to JPG without losing quality

Convert once, from the original, at 85 to 92 percent quality. Don't convert a file that was already converted. Each lossy save adds more damage.

Keep the original dimensions unless the site sets a maximum. If a form only needs a small image, resize it before you lower the quality. Removing pixels you don't need usually looks cleaner than squeezing a full camera photo at a very low setting.

Check the JPG at full size and keep the HEIC master. If you later need a different crop, size or file size, make the new copy from the master and not from the first JPG.

Metadata and privacy

Photos carry EXIF data. That includes the time the photo was taken, GPS coordinates and details about the phone. Keep it in your own archive. Remove it before you post a photo publicly.

Metadata can be useful. Capture dates keep a library in order, and camera settings help explain a tricky shot. Location is more sensitive. A public photo can reveal your home, a school, a workplace or your travel habits.

Make a clean copy to share instead of deleting metadata from the original. If the photo is sensitive, open the copy in a metadata viewer after you export it. Not every app removes the same fields.

Recommended settings

Shoot in HEIC. Share JPG at 85 percent. Keep metadata for yourself and remove it before posting online. That covers almost every case.

For prints, use the pixel size the printer asks for and a higher quality setting. For messaging apps and web forms, follow their size and file limits. For editing, keep the original and never use a photo downloaded from social media as your new master.

Back up your library before any bulk conversion or cleanup. Batch tools save time, but a wrong setting can affect hundreds of files. Keep masters in one place and copies in another, so you can always undo a mistake.