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Images and Attachments

We treat HEIC and HEIF images like any other file: they render consistently across thumbnails, inline previews, galleries, and lightbox views. If a preview isn’t suitable, exclude the format from previews or use a low-res fallback.

FormatDefault behavior
HEIC/HEIFKeep the original for download; the system generates a JPEG copy for previews
JPEG/PNG/WebPRender at full quality
  1. Attach a photo from an iPhone or Mac.
  2. The platform creates a browser-compatible JPEG copy for previews, while the original HEIC/HEIF is preserved for download.
  3. See it in the same places as regular images:
    • Attachment thumbnails below comments and email bubbles
    • Inline embed inside a comment or task description
    • Board gallery or gallery views that show attachments
    • Task detail lightbox with a thumbnail strip at the bottom

HEIC and HEIF photos uploaded to tasks and comments retain their original file format in the download. When you click Download on an attachment:

  • The original HEIC/HEIF file is downloaded, preserving the full image quality
  • Previews across the platform use the generated JPEG copy for faster rendering and broader compatibility

This ensures you can access the highest-quality version of your photos while maintaining fast, consistent previews everywhere else.

To prevent HEIC/HEIF from generating previews (e.g., if the file is too large for preview generation):

  1. Open the attachment’s context menu (three dots).
  2. Select Excluded from previews to disable automatic preview generation.
  3. Uploaders still receive the file; observers only see the original format and a download link.

In the task detail lightbox, the thumbnail strip shows all attachments in that task. Supported formats and non-preview status appear consistently across all attachments.

Handling malformed previews in the lightbox strip

Section titled “Handling malformed previews in the lightbox strip”

If the lightbox shows a broken image icon for a non-decodable file:

  • A file icon now appears instead of a broken icon, making it clear the image content could not be decoded.

If a file exhibits preview or display issues (broken icons, no thumbnail, or an unexpected format shown), check:

  • The file is flagged as excluded from previews (if the goal was to prevent preview).
  • The file is a HEIC/HEIF image under preview logic (historically, some browsers rendered these as named files before conversion completed).
  • Keep resolution manageable: Very large HEIC images can lead to longer preview conversion times.
  • Review lightbox strip: If a thumbnail seems wrong after a HEIC upload, the browser might still be loading a placeholder until conversion finishes.

You can paste photos directly into comments and task descriptions. The system handles both HEIC/HEIF files and regular image formats in the same paste handler:

  • HEIC/HEIF: Preserves the original and generates a JPEG preview
  • JPEG/PNG/WebP: Downloads as-is

This gives you a single paste workflow whether you’re uploading from Photos via copy-paste or dragging and dropping files.

Learn more about keyboard shortcuts for superhuman-style snippets in the Superhuman-Style Snippets documentation.