Video to HEIC Converter

How to Convert Video to HEIC Online

1. Upload Your Video: Drag and drop or click "+ Add Files" to load a video. Accepts MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, WebM, WMV, FLV, MTS / M2TS, MPEG, M4V, 3GP, VOB, OGV, AV1, HEVC, MXF, and 30+ other containers. Batch is supported — drop several clips into the queue.
2. Pick a Frame Selection Mode: Choose Specific Frame to grab a single HEIC still at a chosen timestamp (Time in seconds, e.g. 12.5 for the frame 12.5s into the clip). Choose Multiple Screenshots to extract a sequence and set the Capture Rate — 0.1s (10 fps), 0.2s (5 fps), 0.5s (2 fps), or every 1 / 2 / 3 / 5 / 10 seconds for sparser sampling. Each captured frame is encoded as its own HEIC still.
3. Set Quality and Resize (Optional): Pick an Image Quality Preset (Highest, Very High, High, Medium, Low, Very Low, Lowest) or set a target file size by percentage / exact KB-MB. Toggle Lossless (Yes / No) for pixel-perfect frames at larger size. Choose a Resolution Preset (144P, 240P, 360P, 480P, 720P, 1080P, 1440P, 2160P / 4K, 4320P / 8K), scale by percentage, or set custom width × height in pixels.
4. Convert and Download: Click Convert. Frames decode and re-encode on our servers and download individually or as a ZIP — no sign-up, no watermark, no sign-up.

Why Convert Video to HEIC?

Video is a stream of compressed frames — typically H.264 or H.265 — that decoders rebuild on playback. HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is the still-image cousin of H.265 / HEVC: a single decoded frame wrapped in the same compression engine that powers iPhone camera rolls and Apple TV 4K. Pulling a HEIC still from video produces a roughly 50% smaller file than JPEG at the same visual quality, with 10-bit color depth that JPEG's 8-bit pipeline can't carry. This converter extracts a single frame (or a sequence of frames) and writes each as its own HEIC still — output is a still image, not animated HEIC. Common reasons people pull HEIC stills from video:

• iPhone-friendly stills from any source video — HEIC has been the default photo format on iPhone since iOS 11 (September 2017). Extracting HEIC from a Sony, GoPro, Android, or DSLR video keeps the resulting still in the same format as everything else in your camera roll, so it sorts and previews natively in Photos with no conversion prompt.
• Poster frames for video libraries on Apple devices — Plex, Infuse, VLC for iOS, and the macOS Finder all decode HEIC natively. A 1080p HEIC poster lands around 80-200 KB vs 200-500 KB for the equivalent JPEG, which adds up across hundreds of episode thumbnails on a Synology or Apple TV library.
• HDR stills from HDR video — iPhone 12 Pro and later record HDR (HLG / Dolby Vision) video. JPEG only carries 8-bit SDR; HEIC preserves 10-bit color and the highlight detail you'd otherwise crush by re-encoding to JPEG. Same applies to Sony A7S III, Canon R5, and any HEVC / H.265 source.
• Storage savings on iCloud and device backups — Pulling thumbnail stills as HEIC instead of JPEG roughly halves the storage cost of a media archive, which matters on a 50 GB iCloud plan or a near-full iPhone.
• AirDrop and Messages sharing — HEIC files transfer at full quality between Apple devices over AirDrop without re-encoding. Sharing a poster frame from a movie clip stays sharp where a screen-grab JPEG would visibly soften.
• Print-quality stills from 4K footage — A 3840×2160 HEIC frame at the Highest preset preserves the 10-bit color depth and detail needed for poster prints and magazine spreads, at a fraction of the file size of TIFF or PNG.

If you need wider compatibility (every email client, every Windows machine without the HEIF extensions, every legacy CMS), use video to JPG instead. For lossless print-quality stills, video to PNG is safer. For modern web with the smallest possible files, video to AVIF compresses tighter than HEIC and decodes in every modern browser.

HEIC vs JPEG vs PNG — Format Comparison

HEIC Quality Preset Quick Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this produce animated HEIC or single-frame HEIC stills?

This converter produces single-frame HEIC stills — one image per extracted frame. Use Specific Frame for one timestamp (one HEIC still) or Multiple Screenshots at a chosen Capture Rate to get a sequence of stills (one HEIC per captured frame, downloaded individually or as a ZIP). HEIC's container does support image sequences (Live Photos use this), but consumer tooling for animated HEIC playback is narrowly supported outside Apple's Photos app — most CMSes and viewers treat HEIC as a still format. For a looping output, convert to video to GIF or video to WebP instead.

How big will my HEIC be vs the original JPEG screenshot?

A 1080p frame typically lands around 80-200 KB at the High preset, vs 200-500 KB for the same JPEG and 2-5 MB for a lossless PNG. The savings come from HEVC intra-frame coding — the same engine Apple ships in iPhone cameras since the iPhone 7. A 4K (2160P) HEIC still is usually 250-500 KB compared to 0.8-2 MB JPEG.

Can I open HEIC files on Windows?

Windows 10 (build 1809+) and Windows 11 support HEIC after installing the free HEIF Image Extensions and HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store (the HEVC extension is paid for end users on some SKUs, free if it ships with your device). For older Windows, IrfanView and XnView decode HEIC, or convert to JPG for universal compatibility.

Will the HEIC preserve HDR from my iPhone or Sony footage?

If the source video carries HDR (HLG, Dolby Vision metadata, or 10-bit HEVC) and you keep the quality preset at Very High or higher, HEIC can preserve 10-bit color and the wide gamut. JPEG is 8-bit SDR only — extracting HDR video to JPEG visibly clips highlights. Note that not every encoder pipeline tags HDR metadata correctly; for critical HDR work verify the HEIC in a 10-bit-capable viewer (Apple Photos on macOS or iOS, Preview on a P3 display).

Can I extract just one frame at a specific timestamp?

Yes — pick Specific Frame in step 2 and enter the Time in seconds (12.5 means 12.5s into the clip). The decoder seeks to that exact timestamp and writes one HEIC. Useful for grabbing a poster frame, a single screenshot for documentation, or a key moment from a clip.

How does HEIC compare to AVIF for video frames?

AVIF (AV1 still image) is typically 20-40% smaller than HEIC at matched quality and decodes natively in Chrome 85+, Firefox 93+, and Safari 16+. HEIC's advantage is native Apple-ecosystem integration — it shows up as a regular photo in iOS Photos, supports Live Photos, and AirDrops without re-encoding. For modern web galleries, video to AVIF is the better pick; for an Apple-first workflow, HEIC is more natural.

Why is HEIC patent-encumbered and what does that mean for me?

HEIC uses HEVC compression, which is covered by patent pools (MPEG LA, HEVC Advance, Velos Media). Apple, Samsung, and most consumer device makers license it through device hardware. As an end user converting your own files, you don't pay anything; the licensing concern is mainly why HEIC isn't a default on Linux, why some browsers (Chrome, Firefox) don't decode it natively, and why AVIF was designed as a royalty-free alternative.

What video codecs are supported on the input side?

Containers: MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM, AVI, WMV, FLV, MTS / M2TS, MPEG / MPG, M4V, 3GP / 3GPP, VOB, OGV, ASF, MXF, RM / RMVB, TS, DV, F4V, SWF, and more. Codecs inside those containers — H.264 / AVC, H.265 / HEVC, VP8, VP9, AV1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, ProRes, DV, MJPEG — all decode for frame extraction. Audio tracks are ignored since the output is a still image.

How many HEIC stills will I get from a Multiple Screenshots run?

Multiply duration by capture rate. A 60-second clip at "1 second per frame" produces 60 HEICs; at 0.1s (10 fps) it produces 600. A 4K source at 10 fps for a minute can hit 15-30 MB total even in HEIC — start with 1 fps or 0.5 fps and refine downward. The output ZIP is named after the source video with sequential frame numbers.

Will my files be uploaded to your servers?

Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on xconvert's servers, and deleted automatically after a few hours. Output HEICs download directly to your device. No sign-up, no watermark, no file count cap.