HEIC vs JPEG: Why Apple Switched Defaults (And What It Means for You)
Last Updated: 17 Aug, 2026
HEIC vs JPEG Explained: The Real Reason iPhones Don’t Shoot in JPEG by Default If you have ever transferred photos from an iPhone to a Windows PC or tried uploading a recent snapshot to an older web platform, you have likely encountered a strange file extension: .heic.
For over two decades, JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) reigned supreme as the universal standard for digital images. It powered everything from early digital cameras to the modern mobile web.