Apple has recently introduced system changes that affect the way photos are captured and stored on iPhones. As a result, when users upload photos from an iPhone into Trak, those images will now automatically be uploaded in HEIC format.
While HEIC is fine to use across Apple products, it can cause compatibility issues, particularly for users on Windows PCs. By default, many Microsoft devices cannot open HEIC files without installing additional software or extensions. This means that photos taken on an iPhone and uploaded to Trak may not open as expected on some computers.
Why Is This Happening?
iPhones now default to capturing photos in HEIC instead of JPG as a result of the latest OS change by Apple. Trak simply receives the file in the format Apple provides, so any photo uploaded from an iPhone will remain in that original format.
How This Affects You
- Photos uploaded to Trak from an iPhone may appear in HEIC format
- Users on Windows desktops or laptops may see an error or be unable to open the image
- Third-party apps or Microsoft add-ons may be required to view HEIC files
How to Prevent HEIC Uploads in the Future
The simplest and most reliable fix is to change one setting directly on your iPhone so photos save as JPEG instead of HEIC.
Here’s how:
- Open Settings on your iPhone
- Scroll down and tap Camera
- Tap Formats
- Under Camera Capture, change High Efficiency → Most Compatible
Choosing Most Compatible ensures your photos are captured in JPG format, which is universally supported on Microsoft PCs and fully compatible with Trak.