WordPress 6.7 and later can convert HEIC images to JPEG during upload, provided the site’s server has an ImageMagick build that supports HEIC. Check Tools → Site Health → Info → Media Handling to see whether that capability is available. If it is not, convert the image to JPEG before uploading or evaluate a conversion plugin. The core upload feature does not mean WordPress will automatically convert HEIC files already in your Media Library.
Check whether your WordPress site can convert HEIC uploads
- Check the WordPress version. WordPress added its default HEIC/HEIF-to-JPEG output mapping in version 6.7. A site running an earlier release does not have that core default.
- Check server support. In the dashboard, open Tools → Site Health → Info → Media Handling. Find the ImageMagick supported file formats and check whether HEIC is listed. Core’s server-side conversion requires an ImageMagick installation that supports HEIC.
- Try one upload. Upload a HEIC image through the site’s normal Media Library workflow. If the server cannot perform the conversion, WordPress displays a warning directing you to convert the image to JPEG manually. Testing a sample helps distinguish a missing server capability from a problem specific to another upload route.
WordPress Core described the feature on August 15, 2024 as converting HEIC uploads to JPEG on the server “when possible.” The developer reference identifies image_editor_output_format as the format-mapping filter; site code can customize that mapping, so a site’s behavior may differ from the default.
Convert a HEIC file manually when core conversion is unavailable
For a one-off image, convert the file to JPEG on your computer or another trusted device, then upload the resulting JPG to WordPress. WordPress’s guidance for an unavailable server conversion route is manual JPEG conversion. The official material does not endorse a particular desktop converter, so choose a tool appropriate to your device and privacy requirements.
Keep the original HEIC if you may need its source quality or metadata later. JPEG is a separate converted file, and the exact controls for retaining or removing the source depend on the conversion tool you use.
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What happens to the original HEIC?
WordPress’s 6.7 core note says the original HEIC remains downloadable from the attachment page after the server-side upload conversion. This is not a promise that every plugin or browser-based workflow handles originals the same way.
The core note covers conversion of uploads; it does not document automatic bulk conversion of HEIC images that were already in the Media Library. Updating WordPress alone should not be treated as a library-wide conversion step.
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Consider browser-side processing or a plugin for recurring uploads
Browser-side processing
The Block Editor Handbook documents a separate client-side HEIC/HEIF path: the browser decodes the source, exports a JPEG for upload, and keeps the original HEIC as a companion file. The decoding method depends on browser and platform capabilities. This route is distinct from WordPress 6.7’s server-side conversion and should not be assumed to work in every upload form or on every site.
HEIC Support plugin
The WordPress.org listing for HEIC Support says it accepts HEIC/HEIF uploads and creates JPG, WebP, or AVIF copies. It describes a setting for choosing an output format, an option to replace the original, and a test conversion in Settings → Media. The listing says local conversion requires ImageMagick 7 with libheif.
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The listing also describes an optional paid cloud-conversion service for sites that cannot convert locally. It says the HEIC image is sent to that service and identifies Breakfast as the service operator. According to the listing, the plugin does not contact the external service unless a license key is saved. These are vendor-listed details; check the current plugin listing and terms before enabling the cloud option, especially if the images are sensitive.
Choose a workflow based on where conversion runs
| Workflow | Where conversion happens | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress core upload conversion | On the server, using ImageMagick when HEIC support is available | WordPress 6.7 or later; HEIC appears in Site Health’s supported ImageMagick formats; test the actual upload route |
| Block Editor client-side path | In the browser before upload | Whether the site’s enabled functionality and the visitor’s browser/platform support the documented decoding path |
| Manual conversion | On a computer or other device using a converter you choose | Whether the output is JPEG and whether you want to retain the original HEIC |
| HEIC Support plugin local conversion | On the WordPress server, using ImageMagick 7 with libheif according to the plugin listing | Current compatibility, desired output format, and whether the original should be replaced |
| HEIC Support plugin cloud option | Through the plugin’s optional external conversion service, according to its listing | Image data leaves the host; verify current service terms, licensing, and privacy suitability |
Why a HEIC upload may not convert
- WordPress is older than 6.7: the default core mapping was added in 6.7.
- ImageMagick lacks HEIC support: inspect the supported formats in Site Health’s Media Handling information.
- Site code changes the mapping: developers can customize the
image_editor_output_formatfilter. - The upload route differs: the documented browser-side editor path and server-side core handling are not the same workflow, and other upload forms may behave differently.
If the checks do not explain the result, the exact cause may depend on hosting configuration, security rules, or conflicts with other code. WordPress version, hosting setup, and the warning or error message are needed to diagnose those site-specific cases.
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Official WordPress references
- WordPress Core: Auto-convert HEIC images to JPEG on upload
- Developer reference:
image_editor_output_format - Block Editor Handbook: Media Utilities
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