How to get Windows 10/11 HEVC and HEIF (High Efficiency Video/Image) extensions for free

If you edit videos and images on your Windows Machine, these two extensions will come in handy (especially if you import from your phone).

Both of these codeces/extensions are designed to contain high efficiency files (images and videos respectively).

HEVC is quite important and necessary if you plan on watching or making MPEG-H Part 2 or H.265 content! It is normally a paid extension ($0.99) from the Microsoft Store, due to licensing agreements. Essentially, a company made the standard and patented it. In order to use their technology and intulectual property, you need to license the software from them. This company decided to charge for the licensing, like many do. Microsoft decided to pass the cost down to the consumer instead of including it in windows or their video player.

But you can get it for free and legally here. This is meant for OEMS to pre-install on most PCs (since they paid the license fee previously). Alternatively, VLC should be able to play a video of this type without any additional plugins.

HEIF, on the other hand, is completely free and can be installed here.

Now you can enable these formats on your Android or iPhone and send them to your PC to check!