Microsoft added OS support in Windows 10 Build 17123 and in their UWP Photos app Version 2018.18022.13740.0 or newer. Google added HEIF support to Android P in March 2018. HEIF was supported by Apple in iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra in September 2017. avci that is typically used for H.264/AVC encoded files. Currently, the two main filename extensions in use are.

HEIF is a container format which means HEIF-encapsulated HEVC-coded images can be used for compressing full-resolution images while lower-resolution JPEG copies may be stored for preview images and thumbnails.

HEIF images may not just be static single images they can be image sequences, collections, auxiliary images like alpha or depth maps, live images and video, audio, and use HDR for greater contrast. In this article, we will see how to get Windows 7, 8.1 and 10 to view HEIF images. MPEG has standardized several audio and video compression formats over the last many decades - some popular examples being MPEG-2, MP3, H.264 and HEVC (H.265) among several others. HEIF is from the Motion Picture Experts Group and its use is subject to licensing of patents. While over the years, many superior or modernized image formats have appeared to replace JPEG, none have succeeded because of lack of ubiquitous support in various software. It leverages HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding compression) to encode image data.

HEIF is the next-generation image container format to succeed and hopefully replace JPEG. RECOMMENDED: Click here to fix Windows issues and optimize system performance

Windows 7 hevc codec