{"id":6414364,"date":"2026-02-05T19:05:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T18:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marszalstudio.pl\/slownik\/heif-co-to-jest\/"},"modified":"2026-03-13T04:38:21","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T04:38:21","slug":"heif","status":"publish","type":"slownik","link":"https:\/\/marszalstudio.pl\/en\/glossary\/heif\/","title":{"rendered":"HEIF"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>HEIF<\/strong> (High Efficiency Image File Format) is a modern image format that offers superior compression compared to JPEG. At the same quality level, files are approximately 40-50% smaller than JPEGs. Apple adopted it as the default photo format for iPhones starting with iOS 11, and the format is gaining support across other platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<nav class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><div><ul><li><a href=\"#what-is-heif\">What is HEIF?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#comparison-with-jpeg\">Comparison with JPEG<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#where-is-it-used\">Where is it used?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#compatibility-and-limitations\">Compatibility and limitations<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#how-to-convert\">How to convert<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#frequently-asked-questions\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/nav>\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/marszalstudio.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/HEIF-format-zdjec-1-1024x987.webp\" alt=\"HEIF format\" class=\"wp-image-6414168\" title=\", Zdj\u0119cie\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-is-heif\">What is HEIF?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It is a container format that can store images, image sequences, and even audio. It uses the HEVC (H.265) codec for compression, which is the same technology used in modern video encoding. This allows it to achieve much better compression efficiency than older formats while maintaining excellent image quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!-- BANNER CHECK ALSO -->\n\n  <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"checkalso-eyes-icon\" src=\"https:\/\/marszalstudio.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/eyes-icon.webp\" alt=\"Eyes icon\" title=\", Zdj\u0119cie\">\n  <div class=\"checkalso-baner-center\">\n    <span class=\"checkalso-tekst1\">Check also:<\/span>\n    <span class=\"checkalso-tekst2\">\n      <span class=\"checkalso-podkreslenie\">JPEG definition<\/span>\n    <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"checkalso-baner-right\">\n    <div class=\"checkalso-strzalka\">\u279c<\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n<!-- BANNER CHECK ALSO END -->\n\n\n\n<p>The format was standardized by MPEG in 2015. Apple introduced HEIF support in 2017, making it the default format for photos on iPhone 7 and later. Android devices also increasingly support HEIF, though adoption varies by manufacturer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"comparison-with-jpeg\">Comparison with JPEG<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Compared to JPEG, it offers several technical advantages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Better compression<\/strong> - 40-50% smaller files at equivalent quality<\/li>\n<li><strong>16-bit color depth<\/strong> - vs 8-bit for JPEG, enabling smoother gradients<\/li>\n<li><strong>Transparency support<\/strong> - alpha channel like PNG<\/li>\n<li><strong>Multiple images<\/strong> - can store bursts, Live Photos, or image sequences<\/li>\n<li><strong>Non-destructive edits<\/strong> - rotation and crops stored without re-encoding<\/li>\n<li><strong>HDR support<\/strong> - wider dynamic range than standard JPEG<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/marszalstudio.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/HEIF-format-zdjec-2-1024x873.webp\" alt=\"HEIF vs JPEG\" class=\"wp-image-6414171\" title=\", Zdj\u0119cie\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"where-is-it-used\">Where is it used?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It is the default photo format on iPhones, iPads, and newer Macs. When you take a photo on an iPhone, it's saved as a .HEIC file. Android devices are also adding support, particularly Samsung and Google Pixel phones. In <a href=\"https:\/\/marszalstudio.pl\/en\/glossary\/photography\/\">professional photography<\/a>, adoption is slower due to compatibility concerns with older software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"compatibility-and-limitations\">Compatibility and limitations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The main limitation is compatibility. Not all software and websites support the format yet. When sharing, these files often need to be converted to JPEG for universal compatibility. Apple devices automatically convert to JPEG when sharing to incompatible apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Support for viewing and editing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Windows<\/strong> - requires HEIF Image Extensions from Microsoft Store<\/li>\n<li><strong>macOS<\/strong> - native support since High Sierra<\/li>\n<li><strong>Adobe Lightroom\/Photoshop<\/strong> - full support<\/li>\n<li><strong>Web browsers<\/strong> - Safari supports it; Chrome and Firefox have limited support<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/marszalstudio.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/HEIF-format-1-854x1024.webp\" alt=\"HEIF compatibility\" class=\"wp-image-6414174\" title=\", Zdj\u0119cie\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-convert\">How to convert<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To convert these files for universal compatibility, you can use built-in tools on Apple devices (share as JPEG), Adobe software, or free online converters. On iPhone, you can also change the camera settings to capture in JPEG instead of HEIF if compatibility is a priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"frequently-asked-questions\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/High_Efficiency_Image_File_Format\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"dofollow noopener\">HEIF<\/a> on Wikipedia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ms-service-link\">\ud83d\udc49 <strong>Need professional photos?<\/strong> <a href=\"\/en\/packshot\/\">Packshots - professional product photography<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>HEIF stands for High Efficiency Image File Format, which can be translated as 'High Efficiency Image File Format'. The format was developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) and officially launched in 2015. HEIF uses advanced compression algorithms to maintain high image quality while reducing file size. Key features of the HEIF format.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":6414178,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","alternative_title":"HEIF","short_definition":"<strong>HEIF<\/strong>, or <i>High Efficiency Image File Format<\/i>, is a modern image file format that is growing in popularity. This format has been developed to improve the storage and compression efficiency of images compared to traditional formats such as JPEG.","footnotes":""},"litery":[1125],"class_list":["post-6414364","slownik","type-slownik","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","litery-litera-h"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":110,"sum_votes":534},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marszalstudio.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/slownik\/6414364","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marszalstudio.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/slownik"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marszalstudio.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/slownik"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marszalstudio.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/slownik\/6414364\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marszalstudio.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6414178"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marszalstudio.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6414364"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"litery","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marszalstudio.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/litery?post=6414364"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}