Support for HEIF (.heic) and HEVC photo and video files

Updated Mar 03, 2025

The information in this article applies to all Dropbox users.

Dropbox supports photo and video files stored in HEIF (.heic) and HEVC-encoded MOV (.mov) formats.

HEIF and HEVC are the default file formats for photos and videos on many Apple devices running iOS 11 or later. Most Mac computers, iPhones, and iPads can open these files. Learn which devices use HEIF and HEVC file formats.

Use camera uploads to upload HEVC as a different file type

If you use the camera uploads feature to automatically upload your photos and videos to Dropbox, you can set your HEIF and HEVC files to upload as JPG and non-HEVC MOV files instead. Then, you can open them on non-Apple devices.

To set HEIF and HEVC files to upload as JPG and non-HEVC MOV:

Open the Dropbox app.
Tap the person icon.
Tap the gear icon.
Tap Camera Uploads. (It must be enabled to see these settings.)
Select Save HEIC Photos as.

Notes:

The Save HEIC Photos as option will only appear if you have an HEIF or HEVC file on your device.
Saving your camera uploads as a JPG is likely a better option if you’re sharing files with someone who isn’t using an Apple device.
Converting a file to JPG will remove some features of HEIF files.
Changing how these files are uploaded won’t affect files that were already uploaded to Dropbox.

Use iPhone or iPad settings to upload HEVC as a different file type

You can upload HEIF and HEVC files as JPG and non-HEVC MOV by changing the settings on your iPhone or iPad and then manually connecting the device to a computer to upload. To do so:

Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap Photos.
Scroll to the Transfer to Mac or PC section and choose:

Automatic: Your iPhone or iPad will automatically import the JPG or non-HEVC MOV version of the file
Keep Originals: Your iPhone or iPad will automatically import the HEIF or HEVC-encoded MOV version of the file

Which operating systems support HEIF (.heic) and HEVC files?

HEIF (.heic) photos

Supported

Not supported

iPhone/iPad: iOS 11

Mac: macOS High Sierra 10.13

Windows: All versions

Mac: macOS Sierra 10.12 or earlier

Android: All versions

iPhone/iPad: iOS 10 or earlier

HEVC-encoded videos

Supported

Not supported

Windows: Windows 10 or later

Mac: macOS High Sierra 10.13

Android: Android 5 or later

iPhone iPad: iOS 11

Windows: Windows 8.1 or earlier

Mac: macOS Sierra 10.12 or earlier

Android: Android 4.4.4 or earlier

iPhone/iPad: iOS 10 or earlier

To learn more, visit these articles from Apple support:

If you’re having issues uploading or viewing HEIF or HEVC files, check to make sure that all of the devices, operating systems, and applications that you used can support them.

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