A Guide To Enabling The iOS 11 HEIF / HEVC Feature

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Apple finally released the long-awaited software update a few days ago. If you installed iOS 11, you must have seen various new features, including new camera options, the improved control center, ARKit, and much more. Another innovation that Apple’s new operating system brings is the iOS 11 HEIF / HEVC feature.

It is not a secret that the new apps we use are weightier for our devices, and in combination with pictures, music, and videos, it won’t be too long until even 128GB devices run low on storage.

HEIF and HEVC codecs solve these problems by adjusting the images so they don’t take enormous amounts of space but still deliver uncompromised quality. This guide will help users experience the best of the iOS 11 HEIF / HEVC feature on their iPhones and iPads. Read on!

The HEVC and HEIF codecs are both parts of Apple’s newest operating systems. Basically, there are no significant differences between today’s global formats, such as JPEG, and the iOS 11 HEVC/HEIF feature, except that by default, they take 50% less space on your device than JPEG and similar formats. The quality remains the same, if not better, Apple claims.

As a result of Apple’s innovation, many people will save on storage space. However, if users wish, due to compatibility reasons with Windows 10 and One Drive, they can roll the default format back. In fact, Apple included an option tucked in the Settings for users to opt for JPEG or some other format as default. If you wanted to revert this change but you couldn’t manage to find the option, we wrote a little guide that will help you change the HEIF / HEVC feature back into JPEG.

You can turn the HEIF / HEVC feature on or off by going to Settings. Now tap on “Camera,” and then tap “Formats.” If you want to turn the iOS 11 HEIF/ HEVC feature on, enable the High-Efficiency option. If you want to shut down the codec, tap the “Most Compatible” option. The devices that are compatible with the iOS 11 HEIF / HEVC feature have it enabled by default after this newest version of Apple’s mobile operating system is installed.

Still, Apple lets users choose if they want to have it on or off. Apple’s iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will ship with iOS 11 starting today. The upcoming iPhone X will be compatible with the HEIF/ HEVC feature as well.

Source: redmondpie.com

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