# How to open an HEIC file on chromebook without extra steps **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 4, 2020, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-open-an-heic-file-on-chromebook-without-extra-steps/924772 "2020-11-04T18:09:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2020, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-open-an-heic-file-on-chromebook-without-extra-steps/924772/1 "2020-11-04T18:09:55Z")
One of my friends occasionally emails me HEIC files which I receive on my chromebook. I would like to be able to just click the attachment and open it without having to go through any extra steps (I don’t want to have to save it, rename it, convert it by going to some website, etc.). I can’t find a way to do that. Is it possible? I looked for chrome extensions and they all seem to involve going to some web site to convert the file. ---
**Author:** ![Kzbre5m](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@Kzbre5m](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kzbre5m)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-open-an-heic-file-on-chromebook-without-extra-steps/924772/2 "2020-11-06T13:42:28Z")
I haven’t encountered HEIC files (they are iApple picture files from a quick search), but I have found WEBP files which is the new google picture format, so maybe it’s a similar solution. I drag-n-drop a webp file into a webpage (I use Firefox), which displays the picture. If you want to save it, copy image then paste into your picture program (I use an antique Paint Shop Pro, but I assume others are similar), then do a saveas to jpg file. The file name doesn’t carry through so you have to copy/paste the name when you saveas. Note that saveas from the webpage keeps the webp format so I assume simlar for HEIC. Unless, of course, Apple picture files are even more protective than google files. The key is dropping the file into a web browser page and let it do the converting. I use a windows computer, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-open-an-heic-file-on-chromebook-without-extra-steps/924772/3 "2020-11-06T16:05:57Z")
Thanks for the info, it is generally helpful. But in my case, I get HEIC attachments via email that I’m not sure I even want to see. So I don’t want to go through all of the trouble of dragging & dropping, etc. just to find it’s something stupid that I didn’t want to see in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Kzbre5m](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@Kzbre5m](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kzbre5m)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-open-an-heic-file-on-chromebook-without-extra-steps/924772/4 "2020-11-06T16:40:44Z")
Like the silly little company logos after the sender’s name at the bottom? Yeah, they are silly, and annoying! ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-open-an-heic-file-on-chromebook-without-extra-steps/924772/5 "2020-11-06T17:27:18Z")
I’m not at all familiar with Chromebooks, but it looks like you can get a viewer for them at [HEIC Image Viewer Decoder - Chrome Web Store](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/heic-image-viewer-decoder/apejnnfdjjgeohjlhieneeookfeomdhj?hl=en-US) With Windows 10, it’s easier, but it’ll cost you a buck to buy one of the codecs from Microsoft. (How rude!) [How to Open HEIC Files on Windows](https://helpdeskgeek.com/how-to/how-to-open-heic-files-on-windows/) ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-open-an-heic-file-on-chromebook-without-extra-steps/924772/6 "2020-11-06T19:41:34Z")
Hi thanks, tried that chrome extension. When I click on the attachment, I get “no preview available” and I have to download it (as HEIC) then process it, etc. I’d like to be able to just click on the attachment and view it. ---
**Author:** ![Vesicant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/43a26b/32.png) [@Vesicant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vesicant)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2020, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-open-an-heic-file-on-chromebook-without-extra-steps/924772/7 "2020-11-07T11:38:48Z")
Did you associate the HEIC file extension with the app? ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2020, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-open-an-heic-file-on-chromebook-without-extra-steps/924772/8 "2020-11-07T18:27:56Z")
On a chromebook? No. How does one do that? ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2020, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-open-an-heic-file-on-chromebook-without-extra-steps/924772/9 "2020-11-07T18:40:54Z")
I looked into associating the extension and tried to do it. The HEIC extensions do not show up when I try to open an HEIC file and “select app”, even when I choose “see more”. The “extension” that I supposedly installed does not show up. The HEIC “extensions” in the Play store really don’t seem to function as apps, they are web URLs for online decoding. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2020, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-open-an-heic-file-on-chromebook-without-extra-steps/924772/10 "2020-11-07T19:01:03Z")
It’s possible this is a licensing/patents/royalties issue. See > **[Google and Mozilla Push for AV1 Image Format Adoption, Beats JPEG and HEIC](https://www.techpowerup.com/240863/google-and-mozilla-push-for-av1-image-format-adoption-beats-jpeg-and-heic)** > > Google and Mozilla, the companies behind the Chrome and Firefox cross-platform web-browsers; are pushing for the adoption of a new web image format to replace the ageing and inefficient JPEG, and the license-ridden HEIC. The two companies are leading... , keeping in mind that is old news. But, basically, Chrome and Firefox support AVIF right now and don’t want you to use HEIC. I don’t have a Chromebook for testing but you could check if the latest version of Firefox supports HEIC natively, but I have not read anywhere that it does. ---
**Author:** ![Vesicant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/43a26b/32.png) [@Vesicant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vesicant)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2020, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-open-an-heic-file-on-chromebook-without-extra-steps/924772/11 "2020-11-07T19:50:57Z")
Perhaps one of these would work? Both are free for personal use and appear to be apps that actually get installed. > **[Open and batch convert HEIC files on Windows](https://www.copytrans.net/copytransheic/)** > > Install this free plugin to view and convert heic files on your Windows PC. Compatible with Windows Photo Viewer. No Internet connection required. > **[iMazing Converter | Free Photo HEIC to JPEG and Video HEVC to MPEG-4...](https://imazing.com/converter)** > > iMazing Converter is a free Mac and PC app which converts photos from HEIC to JPEG or PNG and videos from HEVC to MPEG-4. Also, is your friend emailing you from an iPhone? If so, there are two options they could change: 1. Settings \> Camera \> Formats \> Most Compatible. All photos will be saved as JPG instead of HEIC. 2. Settings \> Photos \> Transfer to Mac or PC \> Automatic. If a particular photo is in HEIC format, it will be converted to JPG when sent to another device. ---
**Author:** ![Vesicant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/43a26b/32.png) [@Vesicant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vesicant)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2020, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-open-an-heic-file-on-chromebook-without-extra-steps/924772/12 "2020-11-07T20:21:49Z")
> [@Vesicant](#): > > Perhaps one of these would work Mea culpa, I forgot you were using a chromebook, not Windows. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2020, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-open-an-heic-file-on-chromebook-without-extra-steps/924772/13 "2020-11-07T20:31:40Z")
Assuming you use a webmail client (e.g. [gmail.com](http://gmail.com)), this could theoretically be done with some sort of extension that would notice the HEIC file and convert it in place to a file your browser can display. But I only see that one extension linked above. I guess you could ask the extension creator to see if they would add this to their exentension. If you’re using some separate email client, then I don’t think there’s a way. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2020, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-open-an-heic-file-on-chromebook-without-extra-steps/924772/14 "2020-11-07T23:08:47Z")
It’s Xfinity email on a chromebook. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2020, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-open-an-heic-file-on-chromebook-without-extra-steps/924772/15 "2020-11-07T23:17:20Z")
> [@ratatoskK](#): > > It’s Xfinity email on a chromebook.   As long as you go to a web address to open it, what I’m saying should apply. I wish I could be of more help. Still, do mention it to the developer of the app mentioned above.