How to Open HEIC in Photoshop & Lightroom (Fix “Could Not Complete Request”)
Updated: January 2026
It is a workflow killer: You have a great photo on your iPhone that you want to edit professionally. You AirDrop or transfer it to your computer, open Photoshop, and drag the file in.
Instead of your canvas opening, you get a frustrating error message:
Even powerful software like Adobe Lightroom often refuses to import these files, showing them as “unsupported.” In this guide, we will show you why Adobe struggles with Apple’s format and the instant fix to get you back to editing.
The Compatibility Gap
While Adobe Creative Cloud (CC) is constantly updating, it relies heavily on your computer’s operating system to decode images.
- Windows Users: If you are on Windows 10 or 11 and haven’t paid for the HEIC codec, Photoshop cannot read the file. (See our guide: Fixing Windows HEIC Issues).
- Older Versions (CS6): If you are using an older version of Photoshop (CS6 or earlier), it will never open an HEIC file because the format didn’t exist when that software was written.
The Workflow: Convert to JPG/PNG First
The fastest way to solve this—without updating your OS or buying plugins—is to convert the source file to a universal format like JPG.
- Go to our Home Page Tool.
- Drag your source image into the box.
- Download the JPG.
- Drag the new JPG into Photoshop. It will open instantly.
Editing a Whole Shoot?
If you are a photographer or social media manager, you might have 50 or 100 raw iPhone photos to edit in Lightroom.
Converting them one by one is a waste of creative time. You need to use our Batch Converter.
Pro Workflow: Dump your entire camera roll into our Batch Tool (Unlimited), download the converted set, and then “Import Folder” into Lightroom. This bypasses all compatibility errors.
Did a Client Send You HEIC Files?
Often, the problem isn’t your phone—it’s your client’s. They took photos of their product or office with their iPhone and emailed them to you.
If you are struggling to even preview these files in Outlook or Gmail before editing them, check out our guide on Opening HEIC Email Attachments.
A Note on Color Profiles
Designers worry about color shifting. iPhone HEIC files use the “Display P3” color gamut. When you convert to JPG with our tool, we preserve the visual integrity of the image so it looks correct in your RGB workspace.
(Curious about the quality difference? Read our Technical Comparison of HEIC vs JPG).
Adobe & Design FAQ
Why does Premiere Pro show “Media Offline” for my videos?
While this tool focuses on photos, the HEIC issue is the same as the “HEVC” (H.265) video issue. Adobe requires specific codecs to read High Efficiency files. Converting your assets to standard formats is often the only way to fix older Premiere projects.
Can I save as HEIC from Photoshop?
Only on very new versions of Photoshop (2025+) on macOS. Windows versions generally do not support exporting to HEIC. It is almost always safer to export your final work as JPG or PNG for client compatibility.
Does this affect Canva uploads too?
Yes. While Canva is web-based, uploading HEIC files can sometimes result in upload errors or “greyed out” images if you are on a Windows PC. Converting to JPG ensures your assets load into your design library immediately.