Image Credentials: Image Title: ONLYOFFICE Expands Compatibility with Support for HEIF and HEIC Image Formats Source: (sora.openai) Date: March 2026. Attribution: This image was created using AI-generated imagery (sora.openai) and does not depict a real-world scene.
By Julian Thorne | Open Chronicle Tech
In a move to further bridge the gap between mobile photography and desktop productivity, the open-source office suite ONLYOFFICE has announced native support for High Efficiency Image File (HEIF) and High Efficiency Image Container (HEIC) formats. The update addresses a long-standing hurdle for users who frequently move media between Apple devices and professional documents.
The HEIC format, popularized by Apple since the release of iOS 11, allows users to store high-quality images in significantly smaller file sizes compared to the traditional JPEG. While efficient for storage, these formats have historically caused compatibility issues when imported into third-party document editors, often requiring manual conversion.
With the latest integration, ONLYOFFICE users can now drag and drop HEIF and HEIC files directly into text documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. The suite’s engine automatically handles the rendering, ensuring that the high dynamic range and color depth of the original mobile photos are preserved without the need for external plugins or online converters.
This update is part of a broader push by ONLYOFFICE to compete with proprietary giants like Microsoft Office and Google Docs by offering a more seamless “cross-platform” experience. By supporting modern compression standards, the suite aims to reduce the overall file size of media-heavy documents, making them easier to share via email or cloud storage.
Developers noted that the support extends across the entire ONLYOFFICE ecosystem, including the Desktop Editors for Windows, macOS, and Linux, as well as the self-hosted and cloud-based Enterprise versions. Users are encouraged to update to the latest version of the suite to activate the new codec support.
As mobile devices continue to serve as the primary capture tool for professional documentation, from site inspections to marketing assets, the ability to handle high-efficiency formats natively is becoming a critical requirement for modern office software.