HEIC to AVIF Converter

HEIC to AVIF, the smallest files yet. No upload, ever.

Drop HEIC files below — converted entirely on your device into tiny AVIFs, usually smaller than the HEIC itself. No accounts, no limits.

  • Zero uploads — verifiable
  • Usually smaller than HEIC
  • Batch up to 20 files
  • Quality slider

Convert HEIC to AVIF

Add your HEIC files

Drag & drop HEIC / HEIF files here

or browse your files · you can also paste from clipboard (Ctrl+V)

Decoder and AVIF encoder load only when you convert your first file — the page stays light until then.

    No files yet. Everything stays on this device. Downloads start instantly.

    Privacy you can verify, not just trust

    Most online HEIC converters upload your photos to their servers first — and some keep a download link live for 30 days. This one can't: the decoder and the AVIF encoder run entirely in your browser. Your photos are never sent anywhere — the only requests to other sites are the site's own analytics, which count page views — and it uploads nothing, ever. The only files fetched after load for the conversion itself are the decoder (~2 MB) and the AVIF encoder (~3.5 MB), both from this same site, once, on your first convert — neither carries any photo data. Don't take our word for it:

    External requests during processing: 0
    1. Press F12 to open developer tools, then the Network tab.
    2. Convert any HEIC above. Watch: apart from the site's analytics, the only requests are the decoder and encoder files from this site — no uploads, and no photo data ever leaves your device.
    3. Extra credit: disconnect your internet after this page loads — conversion still works.

    How to convert HEIC to AVIF without uploading it

    Every "free" online HEIC converter you've used uploads your photos to a company server, converts them there, and — in several documented cases — keeps a copy or a live download link for days. For family photos, IDs, and anything personal, that's an unnecessary risk. The safer approach is to convert the file where it already is: on your own device.

    This tool does exactly that. When you drop a HEIC here, your browser:

    1. Loads a real HEIC decoder (libheif, compiled to WebAssembly) and a real AVIF encoder (libavif, also WebAssembly) — but only when you convert your first file, so the page itself stays light.
    2. Decodes each photo in a background thread, one file at a time, so the page never freezes — even on a camera-roll batch.
    3. Reads the photo's orientation data and stores the output upright, so a portrait photo doesn't come back sideways.
    4. Re-encodes it as AVIF with the built-in encoder at your chosen quality — preserving any alpha channel the source carries — and hands you the result as a download. Your original file is never modified.

    Why is the AVIF usually smaller than the HEIC?

    HEIC uses HEVC compression, one of the most efficient formats in use — a photo takes roughly a tenth of the space of the same pixels stored losslessly. AVIF uses AV1, a newer codec that squeezes a little harder still, so on real photos the AVIF typically comes out a little smaller than the HEIC at the same visible quality. The exception is very simple images: a flat gradient or a mostly blank photo can compress slightly better in HEVC — our own test files show exactly that. The comparison that matters is against JPG, not HEIC: the same photo as an AVIF is roughly half the size of a JPG at the same quality, and far smaller than a PNG. The before/after panel on each file shows the honest sizes. If you need pixel-perfect output instead, our HEIC to PNG converter stores every pixel exactly.

    AVIF or WebP — which should you pick?

    Pick AVIF when size matters most: it is the smallest file at the same visible quality, it keeps transparency, and every current browser displays it. Pick WebP when the destination is older software that does not accept AVIF yet — some upload forms, printers and photo editors still reject it. Pick JPG when you need maximum compatibility above all. All three converters run entirely on your device with the same privacy guarantee; if you want the WebP, use our HEIC to WebP converter, and for JPG our HEIC to JPG converter.

    Why won't my iPhone photos open on Windows?

    Since iOS 11, iPhones save photos as HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) by default. HEIC uses the same HEVC compression as 4K video, so a photo takes roughly half the space of a JPG and a tenth of a PNG. The catch: Windows, most web upload forms, and older photo editors don't include a HEIC decoder, so the file either won't open or uploads as an unusable attachment. Converting to AVIF fixes compatibility in every current browser — at a file size smaller than the HEIC itself.

    Stop your iPhone taking HEIC photos

    To save future photos as JPEG instead: open Settings → Camera → Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos will be JPEGs. Your existing photos stay in HEIC — convert those here. Note that "Most Compatible" photos take roughly twice the storage space, which is why Apple made HEIC the default.

    Honest limitations

    AVIF is lossy

    The quality slider trades detail for size. At 90 the result is visually near-identical; at low quality you may see banding in smooth skies and soft gradients. For pixel-perfect output, convert to PNG instead.

    Encoding takes a few seconds

    AVIF squeezes harder than JPG or WebP, so a 12 MP photo takes a few seconds to encode. The batch converts one file at a time so the page stays responsive, and each card shows how long its encode took.

    Live Photos lose the motion

    A Live Photo is a still plus a short video. Only the first still is converted; the video part is dropped. Keep your original if you want the motion.

    Portrait blur can't be re-adjusted

    Portrait-mode depth data doesn't survive into a standard AVIF, so background blur is baked in and can no longer be changed afterwards.

    HDR and metadata are simplified

    HDR / 10-bit HEIC photos are tone-mapped down to 8-bit, and camera metadata (EXIF, including location) is stripped on re-encode. Orientation is preserved — the output is stored upright.

    Previews need a current browser

    The preview is the AVIF itself, so it needs a browser that displays AVIF (Chrome 85+, Edge, Firefox 93+, Safari 16+). On an older browser the preview shows a note instead — the downloaded file is still a valid AVIF.

    Frequently asked questions

    How can I convert HEIC to AVIF without uploading my photos anywhere?

    Use a tool that converts files locally in your browser. This converter loads the HEIC decoder (libheif, compiled to WebAssembly) and the AVIF encoder (libavif, also WebAssembly) into your device, decodes each photo in a background thread, and re-encodes it as AVIF — all with JavaScript running on your machine. No photo data is sent to any server, which you can verify by watching the Network tab in your browser's developer tools while it works.

    Is the AVIF smaller than the HEIC it came from?

    Usually yes. AVIF uses AV1 compression, a newer codec than the HEVC inside HEIC, and on real photos it typically comes out a little smaller than the HEIC at the same visible quality. Very simple images are the exception — a flat gradient can compress slightly better in HEVC, and our own test files show that. This tool shows the before/after size honestly for every file, so you can see the real result instead of taking our word for it.

    Does converting HEIC to AVIF lose quality?

    A little, by design. AVIF output here is lossy: the quality slider (50 to 100, default 90) trades file size against detail, and at 90 the result is visually near-identical to the original for almost every photo. Lower values shrink the file further but can show banding in smooth skies and soft gradients. If you need every pixel exactly as decoded, use our HEIC to PNG converter instead — PNG is lossless.

    Why is AVIF encoding slower than JPG or WebP?

    Because AVIF squeezes harder. The AV1 encoder searches far more ways to pack each photo into fewer bytes, and that search takes time — a 12 megapixel photo takes a few seconds on a typical laptop, where the same photo becomes a JPG almost instantly. The batch converts one file at a time so the page stays responsive, and each file card shows how long its encode took. The smaller file is the payoff.

    Should I choose AVIF or WebP for my HEIC photos?

    Choose AVIF when size matters most: it is the smallest file at the same visible quality, it keeps transparency, and every current browser displays it. Choose WebP when the destination is older software that does not accept AVIF yet — some upload forms, printers and photo editors still reject it. If you want the WebP instead, use our HEIC to WebP converter — same privacy, same decoder. For maximum compatibility, JPG still opens everywhere.

    What happens to transparency in HEIC photos?

    Ordinary iPhone photos have no transparency, so there is nothing to preserve — the AVIF is simply opaque. If a HEIC file does carry an alpha channel (some graphics and stickers do), the AVIF keeps it: AVIF supports transparency, and this tool reads the decoder's alpha flag and stores it in the AVIF exactly as decoded.

    Will the AVIF open everywhere?

    In every current browser — Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari 16 and later all display AVIF, and so do most current image editors. The exceptions are older software: if a destination rejects the file, convert the same photo to JPG instead. Note the difference between viewing and encoding: this tool encodes AVIF with a built-in encoder, so it works even in browsers that cannot encode AVIF themselves — but the preview still needs a browser that can display AVIF, so on a very old browser the preview may stay blank while the downloaded file is perfectly valid.

    What happens to Live Photos?

    A Live Photo is a still image plus a short video. This tool converts the first still image only and drops the video part — keep your original if you want the motion.

    Is there a file size or daily limit?

    There is no daily limit and no account. A 25 MB safety cap applies per file and 20 files per batch, because decoding HEIC and encoding AVIF in the browser is memory-heavy and AVIF encoding takes a few seconds per photo. iPhone photos are normally 2–6 MB, well under the cap.