WordPress and HEIC: it depends on the server
WordPress itself doesn’t decode images. It hands that job to an image library on your web server, usually Imagick or GD. Recent WordPress versions can accept a HEIC upload and convert it to JPG, but only if that library was built with HEIC support. Many shared hosts haven’t done that, so results vary:
- the upload is refused with a “not permitted” or “unsupported” error,
- the upload works but thumbnails are missing or broken,
- or everything works on your host and fails on your client’s.
Converting before you upload takes the server out of the question.
The 2560 px “big image” threshold
Since WordPress 5.3, any image wider or taller than 2560 pixels gets scaled down on upload. WordPress keeps your original too, and renames the scaled copy with “-scaled” on the end.
| What you upload | What WordPress does |
|---|---|
| 4032 × 3024 iPhone photo | Creates a 2560 × 1920 “-scaled” copy, keeps the original, then makes thumbnails |
| 2560 × 1920 from this page | Uses it as-is, makes thumbnails |
| 1920 × 1440 | Uses it as-is, but it may look soft on wide or high-density layouts |
Uploading at exactly 2560 px means no duplicate originals eating your hosting space, faster uploads, and the image you uploaded is the one WordPress serves.
JPG or WebP?
- JPG is the default here. Every theme, plugin, page builder and email newsletter integration understands it.
- WebP is typically smaller at the same visual quality, which helps Core Web Vitals. Current WordPress versions accept WebP uploads, but check your theme and plugins handle it, especially on older sites.
Want a different size for a specific slot, such as a 1920 × 1080 hero? See Resize HEIC to 1920 × 1080.
Location, quietly removed
WordPress keeps the file you upload, and media files are usually reachable by anyone with the URL. If the photo still has GPS in it, so does that public file. This page removes the location but keeps date and camera info, which some gallery plugins like to show.
Editing a client site?
Converting on your own laptop means client photos don’t pass through a third-party server on the way to their media library. The converter runs in your browser and keeps working offline once loaded. For other upload destinations, see Convert HEIC for website upload, and for size-capped files try Compress HEIC.