HEIC attachments in Outlook
On a Windows PC without an HEVC decoder, a HEIC attachment in Outlook usually shows no preview and will not open. The sender fixes it by converting to JPG before attaching, above. The recipient fixes it by installing Microsoft's HEIF and HEVC extensions, or by converting the file they received.
See what the quality setting does
Drag the line to compare the original with the JPEG at the quality you chose. The loupe shows a 3× crop under your pointer.
If you received the HEIC
- Save the attachment to your PC.
- Drop it on the tray at the top of this page and download the JPG. Nothing is uploaded; the file stays on your PC.
To let Windows open HEIC attachments directly in future, install the HEIF Image Extension (free) and, for .heic files such as iPhone photos, the HEVC Video Extensions (paid) from the Microsoft Store. Details and alternatives.
If you are the sender
Convert to JPG before attaching, or set your iPhone to Most Compatible under Settings → Camera → Formats. Photos taken after the change are JPEG.
Pasting into the message body
A photo pasted into the body of a message travels as part of the message rather than as an attachment. That can be enough for a quick look, but it is not a reliable way to deliver a file someone needs to keep. Send a converted JPG as an attachment instead.
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