Will the cropped file still be a HEIC, or does it silently get converted to JPEG?

The output stays in HEIC. Many "online crop" tools accept HEIC as input but only export JPEG or PNG, which doubles your file size. This tool re-encodes the cropped region with HEVC and writes a fresh .heic so the result drops back into your iPhone Camera Roll, iCloud Photos, or Apple Photos library without format friction. If you do want a JPEG copy as well, run the cropped file through HEIC to JPG afterwards.

Does cropping itself reduce image quality?

The crop operation throws away pixels outside the box but does not blur or resample the pixels you keep. Quality only changes when the file is re-encoded to write the new HEIC, and "Very High" (the default) is visually lossless for almost every photo. Drop to "Medium" only when you need a smaller file for messaging or web; pick "Lossless" if you are doing further edits later.

What happens to EXIF metadata, GPS, and the capture date?

Standard EXIF tags — camera model, lens, ISO, shutter, aperture, capture date, GPS — are preserved on output. One subtlety specific to HEIC: the format stores orientation in two places (the QuickTime Rotation atom and the EXIF Orientation tag), and Apple's apps prefer the QuickTime value when the two disagree, which is the source of "rotated wrong" reports across various third-party HEIC tools. The cropper writes both consistently so the cropped image displays in the same orientation across iOS, macOS, and Windows Photos.

Can I crop Live Photos, bursts, or HEIC image sequences?

Cropping a Live Photo HEIC keeps the still image but drops the paired motion .mov (the motion file lives next to the HEIC, not inside it, so any tool that processes only the HEIC will lose the motion). For HEIC image sequences and bursts, the cropper applies the same crop region to each frame in the sequence so the output remains coherent.

Why does my Windows PC say it cannot open the cropped.heic?

Windows 10 (build 1803+) and Windows 11 can open HEIC, but only after the HEVC Video Extension and HEIF Image Extension are installed from the Microsoft Store — Microsoft charges a small fee for the HEVC component. If you are sending the cropped photo to someone who has not installed those, convert with HEIC to JPG or HEIC to PNG before sharing.

How do I crop to an exact pixel size like 1080×1350 for Instagram?

Mark the crop region you want, then under Resolution choose "Width × Height" and enter 1080 and 1350. The output is cropped to your selected region and resampled to those exact dimensions. For pure-resize without cropping, use Resize HEIC instead.

Is there a file size or batch limit?

Files run on our servers, so the practical limit is upload size and connection speed rather than a hard server-side cap. Recent iPhones produce HEIC files in the 1.5-5 MB range for 12 MP and 4-12 MB for 48 MP HEIF Max, so dozens of files at a time process comfortably on typical laptops and modern phones.

What about 10-bit / Display P3 wide-gamut HEIC from newer iPhones?

iPhone 12 and later capture HEIC in the Display P3 colour space, and Pro models support 10-bit HDR HEIC. Both are preserved on crop — the colour profile and bit depth stay attached to the output so the image still looks correct on iPhone, iPad Pro, and recent MacBook Pro / Studio Display panels.

When should I use crop vs resize vs compress?

Crop changes the framing by removing pixels from the edges. Resize changes the pixel dimensions of the whole image without changing what is visible. Compress keeps the framing and dimensions but lowers quality to shrink the file. If you only want a smaller file at the same dimensions, use Compress HEIC. If you want different dimensions but the same content, use Resize HEIC. Use this tool when you specifically want to change what is in the frame.

Crop HEIC

Crop HEIC iPhone and iPad photos online. Interactive crop area selection with quality control. Output stays in Apple HEIC format.

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