I'm currently diving into the world of server-side image processing and I've found that dealing with HEIC files is more challenging than I anticipated. Even in 2026, HEIC remains the default image format on iPhones with iOS 17 and 18, and its browser support is still lacking—primarily only working on Safari, while Chrome and Firefox can't display it natively. This means that iPhone users uploading images are sending files that most browsers can't handle. I've discovered several server-side options for processing these files:
**heic-convert**: A pure JavaScript solution with no native dependencies, suitable for simple cases.
**sharp**: A well-known Node.js library, but it doesn't come pre-built with HEIC support due to HEVC patent issues, leading to confusing codec errors unless built from source.
**libvips**: This is much faster than ImageMagick and uses less memory, which is a significant advantage given some recent security concerns about ImageMagick.
Currently, I'm leaning towards using WebP as the output format since it offers broader browser support and smaller file sizes compared to JPG. I'm curious if anyone else has faced similar challenges and what methods you're employing for production. Would love to hear your experiences!
5 Answers
Did you know that using on iPhones can automatically convert HEIC images to JPEG? It doesn't catch everything, but it works for most cases.
Not always, I've experienced issues with my phone in this regard.
It’s surprising how little progress has been made regarding HEIC in 2026. Apple promotes it heavily, yet most web teams just convert during upload and move on. From what I've seen, custom-built sharp or libvips solutions are common in production settings. WebP is becoming the go-to format, while JPG is slowly being sidelined.
Totally with you on that!
I’ve got a straightforward way of handling HEIC files too. I employ a script that uses heic-convert before saving to a CMS. It does ramp up the server load during bulk uploads, which spikes my costs, but it reliably does the job. I find sharp to be powerful too, though it can be tricky to install properly in Docker due to dependencies.
Sounds like your priority is optimizing the user experience rather than just getting by. Is that your main focus?
It’s true that sharp interfaces with libvips, so installation on some operating systems like Ubuntu can be easier since they come with it pre-installed. The best practice could be converting to avif for better browser support, or sticking with WebP or even PNG.
I love using WebP; it helps me a lot!
I'm in the same boat with HEIC issues! For my side project, I've been detecting the file type as HEIC, then using heic2any to convert it to JPEG before uploading it. This method works well, but I’ve noticed that server load increases with large uploads, raising hosting costs a bit.
I get that you're using a ready-made solution, but I prefer to figure out the technical details myself to find a more effective long-term solution.
Exactly! If you specify the image type correctly, you typically end up with JPG, avoiding HEIC altogether.