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HEIC-Sequence

HEVC Image Sequence (HEIF Container)

image/heic-sequence Released 2017 · by Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) / Apple

An image/heic-sequence stores a collection of HEVC-encoded images within a single High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF) container. It is most notably utilized by Apple's ecosystem to power 'Live Photos' and burst photography, offering seamless animation and rich metadata at a fraction of the file size of traditional video or GIF formats.

Photography Transparency Animation ✦ HDR Production Ready

Technical Specifications

MIME Type
image/heic-sequence
Extensions
.heics.heic
Container
HEIF / ISOBMFF (ISO/IEC 14496-12)
Compression
Lossy & Lossless
Algorithms
HEVC (H.265)
Color Depth
8-bit, 10-bit, 12-bit, 16-bit
Metadata
EXIF XMP ICC
Capabilities
Transparency
Animation
Progressive Loading
Alpha Channel
HDR Support
Official Specification
Aliases: image/heif-sequence

Magic Bytes & HTTP Headers

File Signature (Magic Bytes)
XX XX XX XX 66 74 79 70 68 65 76 63
ASCII: ....ftyphevc
HTTP Headers
Content-Type: image/heic-sequence
HTML Accept Attribute
accept="image/heic-sequence, .heics"

Browser Support Matrix

Browser Status Min Version
Chrome Chrome
Not Supported
Firefox Firefox
Not Supported
Safari Safari
Supported 11+
Edge Edge
Not Supported
Internet Explorer Internet Explorer
Not Supported Legacy

Advantages & Limitations

Advantages
  • Incredibly efficient storage for bursts and short animations compared to GIF or motion JPEG
  • Supports 16-bit color, HDR, and alpha channel transparency across all frames
  • Shares frame data blocks, meaning the base image and animation data are heavily optimized for space
Limitations
  • Zero support in web browsers outside the Apple ecosystem (Chrome, Firefox, Edge do not support it)
  • Heavily encumbered by HEVC patent pools, hindering open-source adoption
  • Complex container structure makes parsing and decoding difficult without specialized libraries

Developer Code Snippets

import magic
print(magic.from_file('livephoto.heics', mime=True)) # May default to 'image/heif' or 'image/heic'
const FileType = require('file-type');
const type = await FileType.fromFile('livephoto.heics');
console.log(type.mime); // Typically resolves to image/heic or image/heic-sequence based on the library version
import "net/http"

// The standard net/http library cannot detect HEIF sequences.
// Specialized ISOBMFF parsing is required to read the 'hevc' brand.
$mime = mime_content_type('livephoto.heics');
echo $mime; // Standard magic databases often lack specific sequence signatures

File Detection Steps

How to programmatically detect a image/heic-sequence file by reading its raw bytes:

  1. 1 Check for ISOBMFF 'ftyp' box starting at byte offset 4
  2. 2 Verify 'hevc' or 'hevx' brand string starting at byte offset 8 to confirm it is a HEVC sequence

Software Support

A
Apple Photos (macOS/iOS)
ImageMagick ImageMagick
F
FFmpeg

Conversion Tools

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JSON API

All data on this page is available as a free, open JSON API. Use it in your project, documentation, or tooling.

GET https://freewebptojpg.com/mime/image/heic-sequence.json Open JSON
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No auth required
CORS enabled
Use from any domain
Cached 24h
Cache-Control headers set

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between image/heic and image/heic-sequence?

While both use the HEVC (H.265) codec inside a HEIF container, image/heic represents a single still image, whereas image/heic-sequence contains multiple frames (an image sequence) used for animations, burst shots, or Live Photos.

What is the magic byte for HEIC sequences?

Like other HEIF files, HEIC sequences use the ISOBMFF container structure. The signature begins with a 4-byte box size, followed by the 'ftyp' identifier, and the brand string 'hevc' or 'hevx'. The hex representation is typically XX XX XX XX 66 74 79 70 68 65 76 63 (....ftyphevc).

How do I display an image/heic-sequence on a website?

Native browser support is practically non-existent outside of Safari on Apple devices. For cross-browser web delivery, HEIC sequences must be converted to standard web animation formats like Animated WebP, AVIF, or MP4 video.

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