How to Open HEVC, HEIC and HEIF Files?

The easiest way to view HEVC, HEIC and HEIF files is by installing these 2 extensions, offered by Microsoft:

HEVC Video Extension (download link is no more available, check  How to Download HEVC Video Extension for Free)

and HEIF Image Extensions (enables Windows 10 and 11 devices to read and write heif, heic files).
 

Support for Apple’s new HEIC format (High-Efficiency Image File) can also be added by installing CopyTrans HEIC, a third-party app that allows to preview and display HEIC (High-Efficiency Image Container) files without needing additional software - more features will be added after you install it.

How do you convert these files?

You can also convert the files online:  JPEG to HEIF or  HEIF to JPEG

Or offline, by using a "tiny and free desktop app" - download iMazing HEIC Converter - that allows you to convert from HEIC to JPG or PNG.
 

A few words about these formats

HEIF is mainly based on the HEVC (High Efficiency Video Compression) or H.265 video format and is considered to be the successor of technologically ancient format, JPEG.

HEIC/HEIF has a higher compressing efficiency than JPEG and it takes up half the space of JPGs without sacrificing a pixel of image quality.

It also supports animation, and is capable of storing more information than an animated GIF file.


Note: installing HEVC Video Extension may also fix "Missing codec. This item was encoded in a format that's not supported. 0xc00d5212." error.