HEIC to AVIF in WordPress, Why & How

iPhone stores raw images in HEIC format. Software patents prevent web browsers from displaying these images. HEIC Support is a WordPress plugin that converts HEIC to AVIF, WEBP, or JPG during uploads.

Why Convert to AVIF

Choose AVIF when you care most about file size and page speed. It usually produces the smallest web-friendly copy of an iPhone .heic, which helps Core Web Vitals and visitors on mobile data. Modern browsers (current Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) display AVIF fine, and WordPress has supported it natively since 6.5.

When Not to use AVIF

Skip AVIF if you still need to support very old browsers or tools that only understand JPEG. Encoding can also be a bit heavier on the server than WebP or JPG.

How to Convert HEIC to AVIF

Install and activate HEIC Support, open Settings → Media → HEIC Support, choose .avif, save, then upload a .heic. The plugin creates an .avif copy or replaces the original if that option is enabled. Some web hosts do not support the conversions, and HEIC Support offers a cloud conversion service for users in that situation.

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