To provide a heat developing apparatus and a heat developing method by which a top end of a heat developing photosensitive material is hardly broken when a sheet type heat developing photosensitive material is carried and heat developed, while sliding between a fixed heating unit and a press roller, and contamination in the apparatus, degradation in the finish quality of the heat developing photosensitive material or failure due to density decrease can be prevented.

The heat developing apparatus is characterized in that a film F having a latent image formed thereon by exposure is carried and heat developed while sliding between a fixed heating means and a pressing means and that an unexposed region M not subjected to exposure is formed during exposure near the top end at the top end Fa of the film in the carrying direction.