Can Terminal be used to change the default .HEIC extension now used by Mojave to default JPG?
The HEIC extension is not widely accepted and probably won’t be for some time.
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Steve Housley
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How Can I Change Default HEIC Extension To JPG?
Comments: 5 Responses to “How Can I Change Default HEIC Extension To JPG?”
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Files with the extension HEIC are not just jpeg files with a different file extension. They are HEIC files. You can't just change the file name and the file type converts somehow. So if you have a situation now where you have another device that can't read HEIC files, then changing the filename won't help.
Macs with High Sierra and Mojave can open HEIC files, as you know. And changing the file extension doesn't mess that up. Mac apps like Preview will still get that it is really an HEIC file and open it fine. But an older device that doesn't work with HEIC won't be able to do that.
But Macs still use and can export jpeg files easily. So the question is, where are you seeing these HEIC files? They are internal to Photos, but exporting lets you get jpg files. Is there some other app or process that you are using that is giving you HEIC files? If so, that's when you need to find a solution.
I updated my iPhone to the new Max and discovered the photos sent to my Mac have the HEIC extension. I just did a search on the App Store and found a utility that I can use for drag and drop conversions. (amazing) free. Works fine for my needs.
Thanks Gary
Steve: You could also just open them in Preview and save them as jpg, no need for a third-party plugin. Most people won't run into this if they use iCloud Photos. The Photos will sync to your Mac via iCloud and when you export them from the Photos app, you can do so as jpeg.
Not so easy. My early 2009 24" iMac (OS X El Capitan v. 10.11.6) is not upgradable to Sierra etc. Photos taken with my iPhones 7P and XS Max are sent to my Photo app as HEIC files, and although they are displayed in the app, they are not editable, somewhat blurry and no photo info is available. Also, if one is exported , for example to the desktop, they arrive on the desktop still in the HEIC format. Also, if the photo is "live", a 2 second unopenable .mov file appears on the desktop.
Robert: If you are still using El Capitan, you really shouldn't be using HEIC on your iPhone. You should turn it off. (Settings, Photos, Camera, Formats).