Settings → Camera → Formats → "Most Compatible" vs "High Efficiency". Which should you pick? Here's the honest trade-offs of the HEIC format:
Keep HEIC on if…
- You stay inside the Apple ecosystem (iPhone, Mac, iCloud Photos handle it natively)
- Storage matters: HEIC files are roughly half the size of JPEG at similar quality
- You shoot bursts — smaller files write faster
Switch to Most Compatible if…
- You regularly share with Windows/Android users (compatibility headaches are real)
- Your workplace tools choke on HEIC (many corporate systems still do in 2026)
- You upload to older web platforms or print services
The middle path
Leave HEIC on for capture, convert only when sharing. For sharing as images, convert to JPG in the browser with no upload: the files never leave your device, which beats emailing originals around.
My take: HEIC is genuinely better technology held back by compatibility. Keep it on, and keep a no-upload converter bookmarked for the moments the real world intrudes.
Disclosure: I'm the developer of FileOnTap. The format debate matters less than the workflow: capture in the best quality, convert at the boundary.
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