What Is a .heif File? .heif Format, MIME & How to Open

Quick facts

Extension.heif

File typeHEIF Image

MIME typeimage/heif

CategoryImage

Charset—

Compressible—

Format familyheic

What is .heif

What is a .heif file?

A .heif file is a HEIF Image — High Efficiency Image Format container standardized by MPEG.

In the mime-db registry it maps to image/heif. When serving .heif over HTTP, set the Content-Type header as shown in Developer info below.

Related entities: it maps to image/heif — and is delivered over HTTP via the Content-Type header.

How to open .heif files

Use Preview or Photoshop to open and edit .heif files.
Any text editor (Notepad, VS Code) can inspect the raw content as text.

Developer info

When served over HTTP, responses should set the following header:

Content-Type: image/heif

Common software that reads/writes .heif:

PreviewPhotoshop

Relation chain

.heifextension of

format

heicserved as

mime type

image/heifsent via header

http header

Related extensions

Related MIME types

Common uses

Web graphics and photos
Design assets and icons
Print and photography

How to edit .heif files

Open the file with Preview, make your changes and save.
Most editors preserve the original formatting and encoding — avoid changing the charset.

How to create .heif files

Create a new file and save it with the .heif extension, or export this format from Preview.

Frequently asked questions

What programs can open .heif files?

Common options include Preview, Photoshop. You can also open many of these files with built-in viewers or a browser.

How do I create a .heif file?

Create a new file in any text editor or the app that owns the format and save it with the .heif extension.

What is the relationship between .heif and the image/heif MIME type?

image/heif is the media type identifier used for .heif files during network transfer (for example in the HTTP Content-Type header).

Sources & standards

Updated 2026-09-13

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