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brew install libheifprovider-native install command
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Install libheif with Homebrew
ISO/IEC 23008-12:2017 HEIF file format decoder and encoder. Version 1.23.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
ISO/IEC 23008-12:2017 HEIF file format decoder and encoder
Project links
Commands and aliases
- heif-convert
- heif-dec
- heif-enc
- heif-info
- heif-thumbnailer
history
Project history and usage
libheif is a C/C++ library and set of command-line tools for HEIF-family still-image formats. Its package-manager value comes from sitting at the awkward but important boundary between container formats, patent-heavy video codecs, and desktop image tooling.
The project is associated with Struktur AG and Dirk Farin, and the public repository describes it as an ISO/IEC 23008-12 HEIF and AVIF file-format decoder and encoder.
Project history
The v1.0.0 release in February 2018 was billed as the first still-image decoder release and already covered HEIF features such as tiled images, alpha channels, thumbnails, EXIF/XMP metadata, depth channels, multiple images, image transformations, and overlays.
The v1.7.0 release in June 2020 added AVIF reading and writing through libaom and described a plugin architecture that let encoders reuse HEIF infrastructure while selecting AV1 compression.
The v1.12.0 release in May 2021 added MIAF conformance handling, premultiplied-alpha signaling, AV1 sequence-header parsing for the av1C box, and AVIF pixi-box writing. The v1.22.0 release in May 2026 broadened the library toward generic image components and a reworked ISO/IEC 23001-17 lossless-image codec implementation.
Adoption history
libheif became a common Unix package because it gave image applications and shell workflows a reusable way to read HEIC files from Apple-oriented ecosystems and AVIF files from web-image ecosystems without each application implementing the container stack itself.
Homebrew ships it with user-facing tools such as heif-convert, heif-enc, heif-dec, heif-info, and heif-thumbnailer, which made it useful both as a library dependency and as a command-line conversion utility.
How it is used
Typical package use is format conversion, image inspection, thumbnail generation, and linking higher-level image software against a shared HEIF/AVIF implementation. Codec details are delegated to companion libraries or plugins such as libaom for AV1 support.
Why package nerds care
libheif matters to packagers because the visible package is small, but its usefulness depends on codec policy, optional dependencies, plugin choices, and file-format brands. It is the sort of package where build options decide whether users get HEIC-only, AVIF-capable, or broader modern-image support.
It also marks the shift from classic single-image formats toward containerized image formats that carry auxiliary images, metadata, sequences, depth, alpha, HDR, and codec-specific boxes.
Timeline
- 2018: v1.0.0 released as the first still-image decoder release.
- 2020: v1.7.0 added AVIF reading and writing through libaom.
- 2021: v1.12.0 added MIAF conformance and AVIF metadata refinements.
- 2026: v1.22.0 expanded generic image components and ISO/IEC 23001-17 lossless-image support.
Related projects
- libde265 and x265 are closely related through HEVC/HEIC workflows.
- libaom and other AV1 codec projects are related through AVIF encoding and decoding.
- ImageMagick, GIMP, thumbnailers, and desktop file managers are typical downstream consumers of HEIF/AVIF libraries.
Sources
- https://api.github.com/repos/strukturag/libheif/releases/tags/v1.0.0
- https://api.github.com/repos/strukturag/libheif/releases/tags/v1.12.0
- https://api.github.com/repos/strukturag/libheif/releases/tags/v1.22.0
- https://api.github.com/repos/strukturag/libheif/releases/tags/v1.7.0
- https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/libheif
- https://github.com/strukturag/libheif
security posture
No protected-tool coverage found yet
No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for libheif. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.
Install behavior
- No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
heif-convert | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
heif-dec | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
heif-enc | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
heif-info | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
heif-thumbnailer | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-08-03
manager version1.23.1
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:libheif |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.23.1 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://www.libde265.org/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/strukturag/libheif |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation