Device & browser
Platform format guides
Real compatibility problems — iPhone HEIC defaults, Windows codecs, Mac handoffs, and browser support — linked to Format Convertly converters.
iPhone
HEIC defaults, iCloud photos, and sharing to non-Apple devices.
Modern iPhones typically save photos as HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container). You can switch Camera settings to Most Compatible to shoot JPG instead.
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HEIC stores more detail in less space than JPG using HEIF/HEVC. Apple chose it for library efficiency — the cost is weaker support outside Apple devices.
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Export from Photos as Most Compatible, change Camera formats to JPG going forward, or convert HEIC → JPG privately in the browser with Format Convertly.
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HEIC wins on iPhone storage and quality-per-byte. JPG wins on universal compatibility. Keep HEIC masters; share JPG.
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Set Camera → Formats → Most Compatible for new JPG photos. Convert existing HEIC files to JPG with Format Convertly when you need shareable copies.
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Windows
Codec packs, HEIC/WebP friction, and formats that just open.
JPG and PNG are the safest Windows image formats. Use WebP/AVIF for modern browsers; convert HEIC from iPhones to JPG before sharing to Windows users.
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MP4 (H.264/AAC) is the best default for Windows. Convert MKV and tricky MOV files to MP4 when Movies & TV or Teams misbehave.
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Mac
MOV vs MP4, Pages handoffs, and opening PC files in Finder.
Both play on Mac. MOV is common in Apple capture/NLE pipelines; MP4 is better for Windows, web, and social uploads. Convert either way when the destination demands it.
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In Pages, use File → Export To → Word. If you only have a PDF export, you can keep PDF for layout or continue from ODT/DOCX sources in Format Convertly. There is no browser .pages decoder yet.
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DOCX, XLSX, JPG, PNG, MP4, and ZIP open readily on Mac. Watch for HEIC already-friendly cases, MKV needing VLC/MP4, 7Z needing an archiver, and ODT needing LibreOffice or a DOCX convert.
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Web & browsers
WebP/AVIF/SVG support and the best formats for Chrome and the open web.
Chrome handles WebP and AVIF excellently. Use them for performance; keep JPG/PNG fallbacks only when you must support ancient clients.
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WebP is supported in all modern evergreen browsers. Convert to JPG/PNG only for legacy apps, email clients, and old enterprise browsers.
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AVIF works in current Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. Provide WebP/JPG fallbacks for older clients and convert assets when editors cannot open AVIF.
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All modern browsers render SVG. Prefer SVG for logos/icons; rasterize to PNG when a channel rejects SVG (some email, CMS, or social crops).
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MP4 (H.264/AAC) is the safest browser default. WebM is excellent on Chromium. Convert MKV/MOV sources to MP4 before embedding.
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