The File Format Shifts Shaping Conversion in 2026

Three shifts define file conversion in 2026. Cameras and browsers moved to newer image formats like HEIC and AVIF, teams now expect conversion to run in a browser instead of a desktop app, and privacy rules push processing closer to where people live. Here is what changed and why it matters for the files you handle.

Newer image formats became the default

Since iOS 11 in 2017, iPhones save photos as HEIC by default (Apple). AVIF, the newer web format, reached stable browser support in Chrome in 2020, Firefox in 2021, and Safari in 2023 (Can I Use). The practical result is that people routinely hold files their older apps cannot open, which is why HEIC to JPG and AVIF to JPG are now everyday conversions.

Conversion moved into the browser

Installed desktop converters are giving way to web tools that need no download and run the same on any operating system. The trade-off used to be privacy, since files left your machine. Short retention windows and encrypted transfer are how modern web tools answer that concern.

Where files are processed now matters

Data-protection rules such as the GDPR make the location of processing a real question for teams, not an afterthought. Novitora runs conversions in the EU (Frankfurt), encrypts transfers with TLS, and deletes files after 2 hours.

What to watch next

Expect more formats to arrive by default from devices and cameras before general software catches up, which keeps conversion a routine step rather than a rare one. The tools that win will be the ones that open quickly, need no account, and are clear about what happens to your files.