Anybody else having troubles with HEIC format images on Windows?

[ZogKarndon]

I've had nothing but troubles with HEIC format images from my iPhone and Photoshop Elements 2022. 

I've installed the various converters (HEIC/HEVC), and PS Elements 2022 can load the images, but then face analysis or thumbnail generation hangs, followed shortly by Elements itself.

I can *reliably*, 100% cause PS Elements to hang by trying to rotate a HEIC format image.

Is PS Elements 2023 any better?

Does it work better on Mac?

[MIKE264781177pwq]

I also cannot open HEIC format images on Windows 10 in Photoshop Elements 2022 ?

To get around this, I saved the HEIC image in a folder as a HEIC file.

I then tried all the programs I had on my computer to open it and I found that "PAINT" was able to open the file.

Once opened in PAINT, I was able to save it as a JPEG and then open the JPEG file in Photshop Elements 2022 where I was able to manipulate it as normal and save it as any other file from my Elements program.

If anyone else has an easier solution, I would to hear about it,

[ZogKarndon]

There's a free Microsoft Store app named "HEIC Converter" that does drag/drop conversion to JPEG.   

But, since PS Elements is supposed to support HEIC images, I was hoping that there was better news on this front.

[Greg_S.]

For me, .heic files have no value on my desktop.  The only reason I record them on my iPhone is to save space.  Unless you have an important reason to save .heic files to your computer, I suggest that you set your iPhone settings for Transfer to Mac or PC to Automatic.   Any photos taken with the .heic format will be automatically converted to jpegs when imported to your computer.

[Somya_Agarwal]

Hi,

We have fixed some issues in Elements 2023 related to HEIC images. Can you give trial version of Elements 2023 a try?

Thanks!

[bonbog]

I have 2023 - and the problem is worse.  All of my heic images are now rotated... any help would be appreciated. 

[Greg_S.]

@bonbog, you are right. The problem is worse in Elements 2023. As mentioned in my earlier post, I see no advantage to using .heic files on a computer unless you have very limited storage. I suggest you transfer your files from your phone using the Automatic setting in the Photos app rather than Original. This will automatically convert the files to  jpeg on transfer. 

[bonbog]

My phone is set to "automatic" transfer to mac or pc, but they still come over as HEIC.  Regardless...what about all of those I've alreday transferred to my mac? when I open them in photoshop '23, they rotate. They were fine with earlier version of PS (think I had 2020 before upgrading to 23, naively thinking it would be better).

[MarkWeiss]

I'm having a new problem tonight with this. Phone Link always opened heic files in Windows photo viewer. But tonight it's trying to open in Photoshop, which can't read that format. Oddly, if I copy the heic to the PC and open it, it opens in photo viewer like it used to from Phone Link. It just broke today. I did nothing configuration-wise to cause this. Must have been a Windows update that I didn't ask for. So annoying!

Update.. I found out the format of the phone picture is not heic. It is JPG. Photoshop can't open a JPG?

I shot it in Pro mode on a Galaxy Note 10+. The picture details are 1.23MB, 9 megapixels. Photoshop can't open this type of file! But Windows photo viewer can.