iPhone Photos Finally Open in Windows 11 Photos With Nothing Extra to Install

Windows 11's rebuilt Photos app can open, edit and save iPhone HEIC photos without the two extra extensions Windows has always asked for.

The change was reported on 22 October, a week after Microsoft unveiled the redesigned app.

It's rolling out to Windows Insiders now, and Microsoft says every Windows 11 PC gets it later this year.

Until it reaches you, and in every other app, the old two-minute fix still applies - and it's free.

What Actually Changed

HEIC is the photo format iPhones use by default. Until now, Windows needed two add-ons from the Microsoft Store to show one: HEIF Image Extensions and an HEVC decoder.

According to the reports, the rebuilt Photos app handles HEIC on its own. You can open a photo, edit it and save it as HEIC again, without converting it to JPG first.

• No extensions needed. Not the HEIF one, and not the HEVC one that some PCs offer only as a paid download.
• Faster to open. Microsoft says HEIC photos open up to 30% faster in the new viewer.
• Edits stay HEIC. Your iPhone photos keep their small file size after editing.

Microsoft's own announcement confirms the HEIC editing and the speed boost. It doesn't mention the extensions, so treat that part as reported rather than official until the app reaches everyone.

What It Doesn't Fix Yet

This change is inside the Photos app. Microsoft hasn't said whether the rest of Windows gets the same support.

• File Explorer thumbnails. Grey placeholder icons instead of previews are still fixed by the extensions.
• Other apps. Anything else that opens pictures through Windows, including many photo editors, still relies on them.
• iPhone videos. iPhones record video in HEVC too, and nothing reported changes how those play.

So if you send iPhone photos and videos to your PC often, keep the extensions installed even after the new app arrives.

How to Open HEIC Photos Today

Don't want to wait? These two free installs make HEIC work across Windows 10 and 11, in Photos, File Explorer and other apps.

• Install HEIF Image Extensions. It's free and teaches Windows to read the HEIC file format.
• Install the free HEVC Video Extensions from Device Manufacturer. This decodes the picture inside the file, and it also plays iPhone videos.
• Restart File Explorer or your PC. Thumbnails should appear and photos should open normally.

Still seeing errors after that? Our guide on why iPhone HEIC photos won't open on Windows walks through the other causes.

When Will You Get It?

The new Photos app started rolling out to Windows Insiders on 15 October. Microsoft says it reaches all Windows 11 users "later this year" through a normal app update, and it hasn't given an exact date.

There's more in the redesign than HEIC - a new gallery, iCloud photos side by side with your own, and a split between viewing and browsing. We covered that in our first look at the new Photos app.

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