iPhone photos on your PC

Open HEIC files on Windows 11 – view iPhone photos without an extension

The iPhone saves photos as HEIC. On a PC these files often stay grey icons, and to view them Windows asks for an extension from the Microsoft Store. Album 42 opens HEIC by itself: as a thumbnail in the catalogue, full size in the viewer and with all shooting data, including the location. No extension, no converting – on Windows 10, Windows 11 and the Mac.

Try it free for 28 days How it works

Album 42 on Windows: iPhone folder with 12 HEIC photos as thumbnails, on the right the photo IMG_4811.HEIC with location Venice, time taken, type HEIC and GPS position — iPhone photos as HEIC in Album 42 on Windows 11: thumbnails without an extension, location, time taken and GPS position on the right (German interface).

How to open HEIC files

Photos to the PC

Copy the iPhone photos to the PC or to an external drive as usual.

Scan

Select the folder in Album 42 and click “Scan”. Every HEIC file gets a thumbnail.

View

Double-click shows the photo full size. The arrow keys browse on, the mouse wheel zooms.

Why Windows doesn’t open HEIC

HEIC (also HEIF) is an image format that stores photos at up to half the size of JPG at the same quality. Windows does not always include the matching decoder: File Explorer then shows no thumbnail, and the Photos app asks for an extension from the Microsoft Store. Album 42 has its own built-in decoder and needs no extension.

More than just viewing

Shooting data: the detail panel shows date taken, camera, lens and exposure.
Location: iPhone photos with location appear on the world map in the Places view.
Finding: the AI search finds HEIC photos by their content too – “dog in the snow” is enough.
Sharing: copy to the clipboard and paste into an email, a document or a graphics program, even where HEIC doesn’t work.
Sorting: drag into folders, also onto another drive. More under sort photos.

HEIC and JPG twice?

If a photo exists as HEIC and also as JPG, for example after converting, find duplicate photos helps: Album 42 recognises both as the same picture, even in different formats. You decide what stays.

Frequently asked questions

How can I open HEIC files on Windows 11?

With Album 42: scan the folder, and every HEIC file has a thumbnail. Double-click shows the photo full size. You don’t need an extension from the Microsoft Store.

Do I need an extension for HEIC?

No. Album 42 reads HEIC and HEIF files with its own built-in decoder.

Can Album 42 convert HEIC to JPG?

Album 42 does not convert files; your photos stay unchanged. But you can copy a HEIC photo to the clipboard and paste it into any program that cannot open HEIC.

Can I see where the iPhone photo was taken?

Yes, if the iPhone saved the location. It is shown in the detail panel, and the photo appears on the world map in the “Places” view.

Does this also work on the Mac?

Yes, on macOS 12 or later, on Macs with Apple silicon and with Intel processors. There Album 42 shows HEIC together with all the other 80 formats in one catalogue.

How much does Album 42 cost?

€29 once for version 1 including all updates, for one computer – no subscription. Before that you can try it free for 28 days without signing up.

don’t panic – just try it:

Try it free for 28 days

No sign-up, no subscription. If you like Album 42, you pay €29 once – including all updates of version 1.

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