HEIF Image Extensions is an official Windows extension that allows you to open photos in HEIF format. This format uses the same encoding algorithm as HEVC, the most widely used format for his 4K videos and movies on the internet. Thanks to it, it is possible to compress photos in half the space taken up by traditional JPEG while maintaining the same quality. Similarly, you can get files with twice the quality of JPEG.

Files that use the HEIF codec are in .HEIF or .HEIC format. For the latter to work, you also need to install his HEVC codec for videos. HEIF and HEIC let you encode photos, text, audio, interactive photos, and animations.

There are many devices that already offer the option of taking photos in HEIF format by default. For example, the iPhone uses this format to take pictures that take up half the space but maintain a very high level of quality. To open these photos natively in Windows, you need to install the HEIF image extension.

So if you want to be able to use this format natively on Windows, you can download the HEIF image extension. You can use other non-native programs that are compatible with other formats, but the HEIF image extension allows you to view these images in the Photos app.