Compress HEIC Online
Shrink iPhone HEIC photos online for free — perfect for sharing, emailing, or cloud backup.
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How to compress HEIC
- Upload one or more HEIC files (up to 50 MB total).
- Choose a compression level.
- Click 'Compress HEIC' — finishes in under 3 seconds per image.
- Download compressed HEIC files, or grab all as a ZIP.
Quick fact about HEIC
HEIC photos from iPhone are already compressed by the camera, but they can shrink further — typically 40-70% smaller at 80% quality with no visible difference on phone screens.
Why compress HEIC?
iPhone HEIC photos are already compressed by the camera app, but they still have room for further compression — especially for photos you plan to share via messaging apps, upload to websites, or archive. Reducing quality from 100% to 80% typically shrinks HEIC files by 40-70% with no visible difference on phone or laptop screens. This is useful for sharing photos over WhatsApp (which has size limits), freeing iPhone storage, and preparing photos for online forms.
Technical details
| Input format | HEIC, HEIF |
| Output format | HEIC, HEIF |
| Codec | HEVC (H.265) |
| Quality range | 60% (max compression) to 90% (near-original) |
| Typical reduction | 40-70% at 80% quality |
| Transparency | Preserved (rare in HEIC) |
| Max file size | 50 MB per file |
| File retention | Auto-deleted after compression |
How the conversion works
The compressor decodes the HEVC-compressed HEIC image and re-encodes it as HEIC using libheif at a lower quality setting. HEVC is efficient, so quality 80% is typically visually indistinguishable from 100% while being 40-70% smaller.
When to compress HEIC
- Sharing iPhone photos via WhatsApp with size limits.
- Freeing iPhone storage by compressing old photos.
- Preparing HEIC photos for email attachments.
- Meeting upload size limits on websites.
- Reducing iCloud storage usage.
- Preparing HEIC photos for archival.
- Batch-reducing HEIC photo library size.
Quality considerations
HEIC at 80% quality is visually indistinguishable from 100% on phone and laptop screens. Below 70% quality, artifacts start showing in detailed areas. HEIC's HEVC compression is very efficient, so quality 80% still looks great while being 40-60% smaller.
Limitations and caveats
- HEIC photos are already compressed by the iPhone camera — savings are 40-70%, not 90%+.
- Some sharing platforms require JPG (convert first).
- Animated HEIC sequences are compressed using the first frame.
- HDR metadata may be lost at lower quality settings.
- Below 70% quality, visible artifacts start showing.
Compatibility
- Compressed HEIC opens natively on iOS 11+, iPadOS, macOS High Sierra+.
- Windows 10/11 supports HEIC with the free HEIF Image Extensions.
- Native support in Photos, Preview, and Adobe CC apps.
- Syncs with iCloud Photos.
- Ideal for personal photo libraries and Apple ecosystem.
Tips for best results
- 80% quality is the sweet spot for HEIC — 40-60% smaller with no visible change.
- Keep the original if the photo is irreplaceable.
- For WhatsApp sharing, use 70% quality or the target-size preset.
- Batch-compress up to 50 MB of HEIC files at once.
- HEIC is native on Apple devices — compressed HEIC works seamlessly with iCloud Photos.
Compression levels explained
| Level | Size reduction | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Low (90% quality) | ~20-30% | High-quality archival |
| Medium (80% quality) | ~40-60% | Sharing, social media |
| High (70% quality) | ~60-70% | WhatsApp, email |
| Maximum (60% quality) | ~65-75% | Strict size limits |
Common problems and fixes
- HEIC file is barely smaller after compression
- iPhone photos are already compressed. Try 'Maximum' level or lower quality. Savings are typically 40-70%, not 90%+.
- Compressed HEIC won't open on Android
- HEIC requires third-party apps on Android. Convert to JPG for cross-platform sharing.
- HDR data is lost after compression
- Lower quality settings may lose HDR metadata. For HDR preservation, use 'Low' (90% quality) or keep the original.
Frequently asked questions
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Sources and references
Last reviewed: 2026-10-01