Quick answer
Photoshop on Mac: Open HEIC directly (CC 2020+). Photoshop on Windows: No HEIC support. Convert HEIC to JPG first using Cloudconvert or the HEIC to JPG Converter Chrome extension.
You drag a HEIC file into Photoshop on Windows and hit the File > Open dialog. Photoshop does not recognize HEIC as a valid image format. Mac Photoshop handles it fine. Windows requires conversion first.
Photoshop on Mac (CC 2020+): HEIC support
macOS Photoshop can open HEIC natively:
- Photoshop > File > Open.
- Select a HEIC file.
- Click Open. File opens as a layer.
- Edit as normal (crop, color, filters).
- File > Export As > JPG (if you want to save as JPG).
No conversion needed on Mac. Photoshop handles HEIC transparently.
Photoshop on Windows: No HEIC support
Windows Photoshop versions (all recent versions) do not support HEIC:
- File > Open shows no HEIC files in browser.
- Dragging HEIC into Photoshop does nothing.
- Pasting HEIC into clipboard fails.
Workaround: convert HEIC to JPG before opening in Photoshop.
Workaround: Convert HEIC to JPG on Windows
- Use HEIC to JPG Converter (Chrome extension), Cloudconvert, or iLoveIMG.
- Drag HEIC, click Convert, download JPG.
- Open JPG in Photoshop.
- Edit as normal.
Takes 30 seconds. Then use Photoshop normally.
Alternative: macOS Preview
If you have a Mac, Preview is faster than Photoshop for simple edits:
- Right-click HEIC, Open With > Preview.
- Edit > Mark Up (crop, rotate, annotate).
- File > Export As > JPG.
Preview is built-in, faster to launch, and handles 95% of photo editing needs.
At-a-glance comparison
| Tool | Platform | HEIC support | Learning curve | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photoshop | Mac CC 2020+ | Yes | Steep | $20/mo |
| Photoshop | Windows | No | Steep | $20/mo |
| macOS Preview | Mac | Yes | Flat | Free |
| Capture One | Mac/Windows | Yes (with plugin) | Moderate | $300 |
