HEICPix / HEIC on Android
Open HEIC files on Android
iPhone friend WhatsApped you a `.heic` and your Samsung / Pixel / OnePlus can't preview it. Here's the fix that takes 20 seconds and doesn't need an install.
The fix: open HEICPix in Chrome
HEICPix runs in any Android browser. Drop your HEIC, get a JPG, share it anywhere. No Play Store install, no permissions, no ads, no signup.
Convert HEIC to JPG now →Why doesn't Android open HEIC natively?
Android does support HEIC since Android 10 (2019) at the OS level. But:
- Many older devices (Android 9 and earlier) don't support it
- Several Samsung devices ship Gallery apps that can't render HEIC even on newer Android
- WhatsApp on Android often refuses to preview HEIC attachments
- Many third-party apps (file managers, image editors) skip HEIC entirely
- Cloud uploads (Dropbox, OneDrive) preserve HEIC, so the recipient hits the same wall
Converting once to JPG removes every one of these friction points.
Install as an Android app
Install HEICPix as a Progressive Web App and "HEICPix" appears in your phone's share sheet. Then, anywhere you long-press a HEIC and tap Share, "HEICPix" is in the list — tap it and the file lands in the converter automatically.
On Chrome Android: Menu → Add to Home Screen. On Samsung Internet: Menu → Add page to → Home screen. See the install guide for screenshots.
Alternative: stop the sender from using HEIC
Ask the iPhone user to change Settings → Camera → Formats → "Most Compatible". Their new photos will save as JPG instead of HEIC. It only fixes new photos — for the HEICs they've already sent you, use HEICPix.