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HEIC to Excel Converter

See why extracting text from a HEIC image isn't currently possible in any mainstream browser, and get pointed to a working alternative.

Category: image
Use Case: Format Research, Receipt & Form Extraction, iPhone Photo Workflows
Privacy: 100% browser-based

Most browsers (everything except Safari) can't decode HEIC images, so there's no way to run OCR text extraction on one either - the image has to be decoded to a canvas before Tesseract can read it. This tool will confirm that honestly rather than fail silently.

Click to upload a HEIC image

Your file is processed entirely in your browser

Recommended Settings

Pro Tips

  • OCR requires decoding the image to a canvas first, and HEIC can't be decoded in any mainstream browser, so this two-step process fails at the first step
  • Safari on macOS and iOS can display HEIC natively at the OS level, but that support doesn't extend to canvas-based decoding for web tools
  • The most reliable fix is exporting the photo as JPG or PNG on the device that created it (like an iPhone's share sheet), then running OCR on that file instead
  • This tool never generates fake or mislabeled data - if extraction isn't possible, it says so clearly

Most Popular

Most users export as JPG from their iPhone's Photos app first, then use the JPG to Excel tool

When to Use This Tool

Format Research

Use this tool to understand why OCR on a HEIC image isn't possible in the browser and learn about working alternatives.

Receipt & Form Extraction

If you photographed a receipt or form in HEIC format, this confirms you'll need to convert it to JPG or PNG first before extracting its text.

iPhone Photo Workflows

Understand the extra export step needed when working with iPhone photos saved in HEIC format.

Evaluating Alternatives

Learn why exporting as JPG or PNG from your device, then using a JPG or PNG to Excel tool, is currently the reliable path forward.

How It Works

1

Read the uploaded HEIC file as binary data directly in your browser

2

Attempt to decode the image to a canvas using the browser's native image loading support, which OCR requires as its first step

3

Detect that no mainstream browser supports HEIC decoding and show a clear, honest explanation instead of a broken or empty result

100% Private

Files never leave your device. All processing happens locally in your browser.

Lightning Fast

Powered by Browser capability detection for optimal performance on modern browsers.

Open Source

Built with verified, open-source libraries. Fully transparent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't this tool extract text from my HEIC photo?

Running OCR requires first decoding the image onto a canvas, and no mainstream browser (aside from limited OS-level support in Safari) can decode HEIC files. Since that first step fails, there's no image data to run text recognition on.

What should I do instead?

Export or share the photo as JPG or PNG directly from the device that created it - on iPhone, use the Photos app's share sheet and choose JPEG - then upload that file to the JPG to Excel or PNG to Excel tool.

Does Safari support this?

Safari can display HEIC images at the operating system level, but that doesn't extend to canvas-based decoding inside a web page, which OCR tools depend on.

Is my file uploaded to a server?

No. The attempted decode happens locally in your browser. Your file never leaves your device, regardless of whether the conversion succeeds.

Will this tool ever work?

If browsers add native HEIC decoding support in the future, this tool would begin working automatically, since it checks for real browser support rather than assuming it isn't available.