File Format & Compatibility

Does SharePoint Premium OCR Support iPhone HEIC Images?

Algirdas Jasaitis Sep 25, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to know if SharePoint Premium's optical character recognition (OCR) can process HEIC photos taken with an iPhone to make the text within them searchable.

Does SharePoint Premium OCR Support iPhone HEIC Images?

Product: SharePoint Premium (Microsoft Syntex)
Device & OS: iPhone (iOS)
Scenario: Uploading iPhone photos (HEIC format) to SharePoint or OneDrive and needing the text inside the images to be recognized and indexed for search.
Observed behavior: Seeking confirmation on whether the HEIC image format is natively supported by the OCR engine in SharePoint.

Before you start

Ensure your SharePoint Premium licensing is active and that the Microsoft Syntex OCR service is properly configured for the document libraries where you upload your images.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Microsoft Syntex OCR for HEIC Files in SharePoint

Understand the extent of HEIC file support in SharePoint Premium and where limitations may apply across the Microsoft ecosystem.

Microsoft Syntex optical character recognition (OCR) natively supports HEIC files when uploaded directly to SharePoint and OneDrive. This allows you to extract text from iPhone photos and make it completely searchable.

Note that while SharePoint and OneDrive fully support processing HEIC images, this compatibility may not extend to Microsoft Teams, Exchange, or local Windows device processing environments.

Upload HEIC Files

Transfer your HEIC photos from your iPhone directly into your designated SharePoint document library or OneDrive folder.

Wait for Processing

Allow the Microsoft Syntex OCR engine a few moments to automatically process the uploaded HEIC images and index the extracted text.

Search for Image Text

Use the SharePoint search bar to look for specific keywords contained within the HEIC images to verify that the OCR processing was successful.

Use Microsoft Syntex OCR for HEIC Files in SharePoint

Community Support: If you need product-specific assistance or encounter processing errors with certain HEIC files, it is recommended to post your issue in the official SharePoint Premium community.

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1. Open WPS Office: Launch the WPS Office application on your computer or mobile device.
2. Access the OCR Tool: Navigate to the 'Tools' tab and select the 'OCR' or 'Picture to Text' feature.
3. Import Your Image: Upload or drag and drop your image file into the OCR tool window.
4. Extract and Save: Click 'Extract' to convert the image to text, then easily save it as a Word document or copy the text directly.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why isn't OCR working for my HEIC images in Microsoft Teams?

While Microsoft Syntex OCR supports HEIC files in SharePoint and OneDrive, this image processing capability does not currently apply to Microsoft Teams or Exchange environments.

Can I convert HEIC to JPG before uploading to SharePoint?

Yes, changing your iPhone camera settings to save photos as 'Most Compatible' (JPG) or converting HEIC images to JPG formats before uploading can ensure broader compatibility across all Microsoft 365 services.

Does SharePoint OCR automatically translate text found in HEIC images?

No, the SharePoint Premium OCR feature simply extracts the text in its original language to make it searchable. It does not perform automatic language translation.

Document & File Issues