Use a web viewer when Chrome will not display HEIC directly
Morphio can read HEIC inside the web page even when Chrome does not display the file like a normal JPG or PNG. You can inspect the image first, then convert it only if you need another format.
View a HEIC file with Morphio
Choose the HEIC or HEIF file in the Viewer. Morphio parses it inside the page and can show the image, multiple frames or images, and available metadata.
That is different from Chrome natively rendering HEIC as a normal web image.
Convert to JPG when another site needs it
If an upload form or app rejects HEIC, use the JPG converter to make a compatible copy. Privacy processes individual images in your browser, while Cloud is available for server processing and ZIP input.
Use PNG or PDF only when the next step specifically calls for those formats.
For JPEG, convert HEIC to JPG.
Selecting a HEIC file is not the same as displaying it
Chrome can allow a website to select a HEIC file through a file picker, but that does not mean the browser can display the image natively on its own.
Morphio handles the decoding inside the web app, which is why you can preview a HEIC here even when dragging the same file into Chrome does not produce a normal image view.
If the file will not open in the Viewer
Keep the original and confirm that the file is really HEIC or HEIF. Renaming the extension is not a conversion.
If the Viewer opens the image but another website rejects it, create a JPG copy for that site instead of changing the original.
Privacy, Cloud, and file handling
- Processing
- Privacy processes individual HEIC/HEIF images in your browser. Cloud uploads files to Morphio for server-side processing.
- Cloud retention
- Files uploaded in Cloud are deleted by default after one day.
- Metadata
- Morphio keeps supported metadata when the output format can carry it. Some HEIC-specific data may not transfer.
- ZIP files
- ZIP input is available in Cloud. A ZIP download for multiple successful results is available in both Privacy and Cloud.
Does Chrome natively support HEIC images?
Chrome does not reliably display HEIC as a normal web image format. A website can still read a selected HEIC file with its own code, which is how tools such as Morphio can provide a browser-based Viewer.
If you need broad browser compatibility for the final image, JPG, PNG, WebP, or AVIF may be more appropriate depending on the use case.
Using ChromeOS? See the Chromebook HEIC guide.
Do you need a Chrome extension?
Morphio runs as a website, so you do not need to install a Morphio Chrome extension to view or convert HEIC files. Open the Viewer or converter in the browser and choose the file there.
Quick answers for Chrome
To open HEIC in Chrome, use the Morphio HEIC Viewer; Morphio reads the file inside the page instead of relying on Chrome’s built-in image display.
For HEIC to JPG Chrome conversion, open the JPG converter, choose the HEIC file, and download the JPG copy when it finishes.
Related HEIC guides and tools
Choose the guide or tool that matches what you want to do next.
Open HEIC in Preview or convert it to JPG on a Mac.
HEIC to JPG converterConvert a HEIC or HEIF photo to JPG for apps and sites that do not accept HEIC.
HEIC ViewerOpen HEIC or HEIF files in the browser without changing the original.
HEIC on WindowsOpen HEIC on Windows 11 or convert it when another Windows app needs JPG.
What is a HEIC file?Learn what HEIC is, why phones use it, and when you may want another format.
HEIC on ChromebookOpen or convert HEIC files on a Chromebook.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about viewing and converting HEIC in Chrome.
Chrome does not reliably display HEIC as a normal web image. A web app such as Morphio can still decode a selected HEIC file inside the page.
Use the Morphio HEIC Viewer and choose the file from your device.
No. Morphio’s Viewer and converters run on the website.
Open the HEIC-to-JPG page, choose the file, and download the JPG after conversion.