HEIC to PSD Converter
Convert HEIC to PSD in your browser. HEIC files usually come from iPhones and iPads since iOS 11, and many recent Android phones; PSD is the better fit for editing in Photoshop. You get an 8-bit RGB Photoshop document with one layer and a merged composite, RLE compressed, with transparency kept. Nothing is uploaded.
- Processed locally
- No upload, no wait
- No sign-up
- No watermark
Drop images here
or choose files · paste with Ctrl/⌘ V
HEIC expected · other image formats also work
How to use HEIC to PSD
- 1
Add your HEIC files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
There is nothing to tune: the PSD is written losslessly. Resizing and rotating are under More options if you need them.
- 3
Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.
- 4
Download the .psd files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for heic to psd
Where the PSD goes next
PSD opens in Photoshop, Affinity Photo, GIMP, Photopea and Krita.
PSD next to HEIC
The PSD keeps the decoded pixels without lossy compression, so expect it to be larger than the HEIC.
No new artefacts
HEIC is already lossy, since it stores lossy HEVC (H.265) intra coding, on iPhones as a grid of 512×512 tiles; the PSD keeps the decoded pixels losslessly, so this step adds no compression damage of its own.
Processed on your device
Your images are decoded, edited and encoded inside this browser tab by Web Workers. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
HEIC vs PSD
What changes from HEIC to PSD
Encoding: the HEIC uses lossy HEVC (H.265) intra coding, on iPhones as a grid of 512×512 tiles; PSD uses raw or RLE (PackBits) channel data, ZIP in some 16 and 32-bit files, and the download is an 8-bit RGB Photoshop document with one layer and a merged composite, RLE compressed, with transparency kept.
Bit depth: 8 or 10 bits per channel in the HEIC; PSD allows 8, 16 or 32 bits per channel, and the PSD written here has 8 bits per channel. 10-bit HEIC photos are reduced to 8 bits per channel.
Colour: YCbCr, usually tagged Display P3 on iPhones in the HEIC; PSD supports RGB, CMYK, Lab, greyscale, indexed or multichannel, written here as 8-bit sRGB.
Transparency: the HEIC stores it as an auxiliary image item, rarely used by cameras; the PSD keeps it as transparent layers plus extra alpha channels.
Other images: the HEIC can hold a thumbnail, depth map, HDR gain map and burst shots as extra items; only the main image is converted.
Metadata: the HEIC can carry EXIF, XMP and an ICC profile, stored as items; PSD can carry XMP, EXIF, IPTC and ICC in image resource blocks, but nothing is copied across.
About HEIC
HEIC is the default photo format on iPhones and many Android phones. It is about half the size of JPEG, but Windows, many websites and older software cannot open it without converting.
A HEIC is a HEIF file (ISO base media boxes with the brand 'heic'). iPhone photos store the picture as a grid of 512×512 HEVC tiles that the decoder stitches together, with the thumbnail, depth map and HDR gain map as further items.
HEIC files usually come from iPhones and iPads since iOS 11, and many recent Android phones.
About PSD
PSD is Adobe Photoshop's layered working format. It keeps layers, masks and effects, but almost nothing outside Photoshop can display it, so finished designs are exported to PNG or JPG.
A PSD has five sections: a header ('8BPS', channel count, size, depth, colour mode), colour mode data, image resources (thumbnail, ICC, XMP, resolution), layer and mask information, and finally the merged composite image that the Maximize Compatibility option saves.
When converting HEIC to PSD makes sense
PSD is the better choice for editing in Photoshop, while HEIC suits storing photos on Apple devices.
PSD strengths: Keeps every layer and edit. Drawbacks to weigh: Huge files; Cannot be viewed on the web or most phones.
Limitations
- iPhone photos are usually Display P3; colours are mapped to sRGB, so very saturated reds and greens can look slightly less vivid.
- The Photoshop document holds the picture as a single layer: a starting point for editing, not a reconstruction of layers.
- Photoshop, Affinity Photo, GIMP and Photopea open it.
More conversions
Related tools
Convert PSD to HEIC in your browser, a HEIF file with JPEG compression inside. Batch, private, no uploads.
Convert HEIC to JPG in your browser, with transparency filled in a colour you pick. Batch, private, no uploads.
Convert HEIC to PNG in your browser, ready for screenshots, logos, graphics and anything that needs transparency. Batch, private, no uploads.
Convert HEIC to WebP in your browser, ready for images on websites and in apps. Batch, private, no uploads.
Shrink JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF and GIF files with MozJPEG, OxiPNG and modern codecs, with a live before/after preview.
Resize to exact pixels, a percentage or a longest side, with Lanczos3 and Magic Kernel resampling. Batch ready.
Strip EXIF, GPS, XMP, IPTC and comments losslessly. Pixels are never re-encoded for JPG, PNG and WebP.
Convert between 34 image formats in bulk: HEIC, WebP, AVIF, JPEG XL, PNG, JPG, GIF, TIFF, SVG, ICO, PSD, RAW and more.
Frequently asked questions
Does converting HEIC to PSD lose quality?
PSD is written losslessly, so the pixels are stored exactly as decoded. Artefacts already in the HEIC stay, but nothing new is lost. 10-bit HEIC photos are reduced to 8 bits per channel. Not carried over: any a thumbnail.
Is transparency kept in the PSD?
Yes. HEIC stores it as an auxiliary image item, rarely used by cameras, and the PSD is written with an alpha channel, so transparent areas stay transparent.
Why can't I open HEIC photos on Windows or websites?
HEIC uses the HEVC codec, which is patent-encumbered and not built into most browsers, Windows apps and upload forms. Converting makes the photo open where HEIC does not, and the HEIC is decoded inside your browser to do it.
Which apps open PSD files?
Photoshop, Affinity Photo, GIMP, Photopea and Krita. It does not open in web browsers.
Are my images uploaded anywhere?
No. Processing happens inside your browser with WebAssembly and Web Workers. The site only downloads the app code and codecs; your files never leave your device. You can confirm this with the live upload counter on the tool, or in your browser's network panel.
Can I process many files at once?
Yes. Drop a whole selection or folder. Files are processed in parallel on several worker threads, each result can be downloaded on its own, and everything can be saved as one ZIP.
Is it free? Is there a file limit or watermark?
It is free with no account, no watermark and no daily limit. The only limit is your device's memory: very large images (over roughly 100 megapixels) may be refused to keep the tab from crashing.