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AI image detector by file format

HEIC image check: Content Credentials and conversion

HEIC is Apple’s HEIF container with HEVC images, carrying EXIF and XMP as items and C2PA manifests in a JUMBF box; isGenAI’s C2PA checker accepts HEIC directly, while the AI image detector needs a JPEG or PNG copy, which the HEIC to JPG converter makes in your browser.

Tool support and container facts as of October 2026. Updated .

Check the HEIC in the C2PA checkerFrequently asked questions
Controlled example PNG file that carries this record: Content Credentials found

test-signed.pngPNG file · controlled example

  1. Signature + IHDR
  2. iTXt XML:com.adobe.xmp
  3. tEXt parameters
  4. tEXt prompt / workflow
  5. tEXt invokeai_metadata
  6. eXIf
  7. caBX C2PA manifestrecord
  8. IDAT pixels
  9. IEND

Content Credentials found

A signed manifest describes how the file was made.

Signer, recording tool, actions and the signature check result are reported separately, so you can weigh each one.

Open the Content Credentials checker →
Content Credentials found: where this record sits inside a PNG file and what the isGenAI report says about it. The picture is a code-drawn controlled example that carries this record; download it and check it yourself.

Where HEIC keeps provenance

HEIC shares the HEIF structure with AVIF: ftyp and meta boxes, items for EXIF and XMP, and a JUMBF box for C2PA Content Credentials. Phones write rich EXIF into HEIC, including capture time, lens and GPS, and recent devices with C2PA support can sign captures directly in this container.

Converting to JPEG in a phone’s share sheet usually keeps part of the EXIF but not a signed manifest.

What isGenAI reads from a HEIC

The C2PA checker accepts HEIC and HEIF and validates the manifest, reporting signature validity, signer trust and the recorded actions, including camera capture credentials. The AI image detector accepts PNG, JPEG, WebP, AVIF and TIFF, so for the full evidence report convert a copy first and remember that the copy carries no manifest and whatever EXIF the converter kept.

The browser EXIF viewer does not read HEIC; the HEIC to JPG tool decodes the file in a worker, up to 20 MiB and 12 million pixels, without uploading it.

Converting HEIC honestly

The HEIC to JPG converter writes a new JPEG or PNG from the decoded pixels. Use it to view, share or run pixel checks. For provenance, check the HEIC itself in the C2PA checker and keep it as the original.

If someone sends you a HEIC through a chat app, ask whether it was sent as a file; compressed sends arrive as re-encoded JPEGs.

How to check a file in this format

  1. Keep the original bytes. Do not open and re-save the file in an editor before checking it.
  2. Use the tool that accepts the format: the AI image detector for PNG, JPEG, WebP, AVIF and TIFF; the C2PA checker for those plus HEIC, PDF, MP4 and MOV.
  3. Read each finding with its source field. The report names the container record it came from.
  4. If you must convert, convert a copy and compare both files with the image metadata compare tool so you know what the conversion dropped.

Check the HEIC in the C2PA checker

Frequently asked questions

Can isGenAI check a HEIC for AI?

The C2PA checker accepts HEIC and validates its Content Credentials. The AI image detector needs a JPEG or PNG copy, made with the browser HEIC to JPG converter.

Does converting HEIC to JPG keep the Content Credentials?

No. The converter writes a new file from decoded pixels without the manifest. Check the original HEIC in the C2PA checker.

Can a HEIC carry C2PA Content Credentials?

Yes. The C2PA specification covers HEIF containers, and some phones sign captures in HEIC.

Why does my converted JPEG show no camera data?

The browser converter writes pixels only. Use the C2PA checker on the HEIC for the signed record and keep the original for EXIF.

Sources

Container facts come from the published specifications. Tool support describes isGenAI as deployed in October 2026.