Free online HEIC to MKV converter

Some video players, editing workflows, or upload systems accept MKV but not HEIC photos. Converting a HEIC image to MKV makes a video that displays the still image for a set duration; it does not turn the photo into moving footage.

What HEIC is

HEIC is an image format commonly used by Apple devices, including iPhones, for photos captured with the High Efficiency Image Format (HEIF). You may encounter HEIC files when transferring iPhone photos to a computer or receiving them from someone using an Apple device.

What MKV is

MKV, or Matroska, is a multimedia container used for video, audio, subtitles, and other tracks. It can hold video encoded with codecs such as H.264, but MKV itself is not a video codec. Choose it when a player or workflow specifically supports MKV or when you need a container that can hold multiple media tracks. A still-image conversion usually produces one video track and no audio.

How to convert HEIC to MKV

Online on 101convert.com

1. Open the HEIC-to-MKV converter on 101convert.com and upload the image files. Multiple files can be added as a batch; the page shows the per-file size limit.
2. Set show each picture for to the display duration you want, then start the conversion.
3. Download the resulting MKV file or files.

Offline with desktop software

FFmpeg is a free, open-source command-line program available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Use a build with HEIC/HEIF decoding support (commonly provided by libheif) and the H.264 encoder libx264. This command creates a five-second video from one image at 30 frames per second:

ffmpeg -loop 1 -framerate 30 -i input.heic -t 5 -vf "pad=ceil(iw/2)*2:ceil(ih/2)*2" -c:v libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p output.mkv

Replace input.heic with the source filename and change -t 5 to the desired duration in seconds. The padding filter makes the frame dimensions even, as required by common H.264 encoding settings. If FFmpeg reports that it cannot decode HEIC, use a build with HEIC support or first convert the image to PNG with an image editor that can open HEIC.

Quality and compatibility

The command encodes a new H.264 video, so it is not a lossless copy of the HEIC image; yuv420p also converts the image to a widely compatible pixel format. The MKV contains a stationary frame for the chosen duration, and image-specific information such as some HEIC metadata may not carry over. Check that the target player supports both MKV and the video codec inside it.