HEIC to TGA Converter
Convert HEIC to TGA in your browser. HEIC files usually come from iPhones and iPads since iOS 11, and many recent Android phones; TGA is the better fit for game textures and 3D software. You get a run-length encoded 32-bit TGA with alpha. Nothing is uploaded.
- Processed locally
- No upload, no wait
- No sign-up
- No watermark
Drop images here
or choose files · paste with Ctrl/⌘ V
HEIC expected · other image formats also work
How to use HEIC to TGA
- 1
Add your HEIC files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
There is nothing to tune: the TGA is written losslessly. Resizing and rotating are under More options if you need them.
- 3
Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.
- 4
Download the .tga files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for heic to tga
Where the TGA goes next
TGA opens in Unreal Engine, Unity, Blender, Photoshop, GIMP and Substance tools.
TGA next to HEIC
The TGA keeps the decoded pixels without lossy compression, so expect it to be larger than the HEIC.
No new artefacts
HEIC is already lossy, since it stores lossy HEVC (H.265) intra coding, on iPhones as a grid of 512×512 tiles; the TGA keeps the decoded pixels losslessly, so this step adds no compression damage of its own.
Processed on your device
Your images are decoded, edited and encoded inside this browser tab by Web Workers. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
HEIC vs TGA
What changes from HEIC to TGA
Encoding: the HEIC uses lossy HEVC (H.265) intra coding, on iPhones as a grid of 512×512 tiles; TGA uses uncompressed or run-length encoded (RLE), and the download is a run-length encoded 32-bit TGA with alpha.
Bit depth: 8 or 10 bits per channel in the HEIC; TGA allows 8, 15, 16, 24 or 32 bits per pixel, and the TGA written here has 32 bits per pixel. 10-bit HEIC photos are reduced to 8 bits per channel.
Colour: YCbCr, usually tagged Display P3 on iPhones in the HEIC; TGA supports RGB, greyscale or a colour map, written here as 8-bit sRGB.
Transparency: the HEIC stores it as an auxiliary image item, rarely used by cameras; the TGA keeps it as the fourth byte of each 32-bit pixel (or one bit in 16-bit files).
Other images: the HEIC can hold a thumbnail, depth map, HDR gain map and burst shots as extra items; only the main image is converted.
Metadata: the HEIC can carry EXIF, XMP and an ICC profile, stored as items; TGA can carry an image ID field and an optional extension area with author and date, but nothing is copied across.
About HEIC
HEIC is the default photo format on iPhones and many Android phones. It is about half the size of JPEG, but Windows, many websites and older software cannot open it without converting.
A HEIC is a HEIF file (ISO base media boxes with the brand 'heic'). iPhone photos store the picture as a grid of 512×512 HEVC tiles that the decoder stitches together, with the thumbnail, depth map and HDR gain map as further items.
HEIC files usually come from iPhones and iPads since iOS 11, and many recent Android phones.
About TGA
TGA is a simple raster format still widely used for game textures and 3D rendering pipelines because it stores alpha channels reliably and loads fast.
A TGA has an 18-byte header (ID length, colour map type, image type 2 for true colour or 10 for RLE, origin, size, bits per pixel and a descriptor byte whose bits give the alpha depth and whether rows run top-down), then the pixels; version 2 files end with a 'TRUEVISION-XFILE' footer.
When converting HEIC to TGA makes sense
TGA is the better choice for game textures and 3D software, while HEIC suits storing photos on Apple devices.
TGA strengths: Reliable alpha channel; Fast and simple to load; Common in game engines. Drawbacks to weigh: Large files; Not viewable in browsers.
Limitations
- iPhone photos are usually Display P3; colours are mapped to sRGB, so very saturated reds and greens can look slightly less vivid.
- The run-length encoding used here is lossless, and game engines read compressed and uncompressed TGA alike.
- TGA files do not open in browsers, so keep a PNG for previews.
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Frequently asked questions
Does converting HEIC to TGA lose quality?
TGA is written losslessly, so the pixels are stored exactly as decoded. Artefacts already in the HEIC stay, but nothing new is lost. 10-bit HEIC photos are reduced to 8 bits per channel. Not carried over: any a thumbnail.
Is transparency kept in the TGA?
Yes. HEIC stores it as an auxiliary image item, rarely used by cameras, and the TGA is written with an alpha channel, so transparent areas stay transparent.
Why can't I open HEIC photos on Windows or websites?
HEIC uses the HEVC codec, which is patent-encumbered and not built into most browsers, Windows apps and upload forms. Converting makes the photo open where HEIC does not, and the HEIC is decoded inside your browser to do it.
Which apps open TGA files?
Unreal Engine, Unity, Blender, Photoshop, GIMP and Substance tools. It does not open in web browsers.
Are my images uploaded anywhere?
No. Processing happens inside your browser with WebAssembly and Web Workers. The site only downloads the app code and codecs; your files never leave your device. You can confirm this with the live upload counter on the tool, or in your browser's network panel.
Can I process many files at once?
Yes. Drop a whole selection or folder. Files are processed in parallel on several worker threads, each result can be downloaded on its own, and everything can be saved as one ZIP.
Is it free? Is there a file limit or watermark?
It is free with no account, no watermark and no daily limit. The only limit is your device's memory: very large images (over roughly 100 megapixels) may be refused to keep the tab from crashing.