How to Stop iPhone from Taking Photos in HEIC in iOS 14

With iOS 11, Apple introduced the HEIC/HEIF image format to compress the file size up to 50% without compromising quality. As compared to JPEG, HEIF is more efficient and offers an ideal way to manage photo storage. The only catch with high-efficiency format is that it’s not yet universally supported. However, you can prevent your iPhone 7 or later from capturing photos in HEIC (pronounced “Heek) both in iOS 14 and 13. Here’s how to do that.

The latest versions of iOS let you switch between high efficiency (HEIF–pronounced “Heef) and most compatible formats (JPEG). So, when you want to transfer your images to your computer or edit them using some photo editing software that doesn’t support this new image format, you can take advantage of this nifty tip to make the iOS device capture shots in the universally supported format.

How to Save Photos in JPEG instead of HEIC in iOS 14 and 13

Step #1. Launch the Settings app on your iOS device.

Step #2. Now, tap on Camera.

Step #3. Next, tap on Formats.

Step #4. Next up, select Most Compatible.

Now, your iPhone will shoot pics in JPEG format and videos in H.264 format. However, you will have to switch to High Efficiency whenever you want to shoot 4K at 60 fps and 1080p at 240 fps.

Automatically Convert iPhone/iPad Photos to JPEG When Transferring to Mac / Windows PC

The latest versions of iOS allow you to automatically convert HEIC images to JPEG when transferring to Mac or PC.

Step #1. Open Settings app on your iOS device → Photos.

Step #2. Now, scroll down and select Automatic.

That’s pretty much it!

Here’s the video on How to Stop iPhone from Taking Photos in HEIC

Your take?

Though “Heek” may not be widely supported as yet, it’s the future. Therefore, I would suggest you go for JPEG only when you have to deal with the incompatibility issue. Have any questions? Let us know that down below in the comments.

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With iOS 11, Apple introduced the HEIC/HEIF image format to compress the file size up to 50% without compromising on quality. As compared to JPEG, HEIF is more efficient and offers an ideal way to manage photo storage. The only catch with high-efficiency format is that it’s not yet universally supported. However, you can prevent your iPhone from capturing photos in HEIC (pronounced “Heek) both in iOS 13.

How to Save Photos in JPEG instead of HEIC on iPhone in iOS 13