# What is a WebP file? How to open, convert and use one > A WebP file is an image in Google's WebP format, which stores photos and graphics in fewer bytes than JPEG or PNG. What it is, why you keep getting them, how to open or convert one, and WebP vs JPG and PNG. Updated 2026-09-26 · Speed & Core Web Vitals · HTML version: https://getreport.app/guides/what-is-webp A WebP file is an image saved in WebP, a format Google released in 2010 that stores the same picture in fewer bytes than JPEG or PNG. It can hold photos with lossy compression, graphics with lossless compression, transparency and animation, all in one format with the `.webp` extension. You mostly meet WebP files because websites use them to load faster: when you save an image from a web page, you often get a `.webp` instead of the `.jpg` you expected. This guide explains what the format is, how to open and convert WebP files, and how WebP compares with JPG and PNG. It is part of our [guide to image optimization for the web](https://getreport.app/guides/image-optimization). ## Quick answer - **What it is:** an image format from Google, `.webp`, MIME type `image/webp`. It replaces JPEG, PNG and animated GIF with smaller files. - **Opening it:** every current browser opens WebP. So do the Photos app on Windows 10 and 11, Preview on macOS 11 Big Sur and later, and current versions of Photoshop and GIMP. - **Converting it:** open it in Paint (Windows) or Preview (Mac) and save or export as JPEG or PNG. Or use an image converter such as the getReport [image compressor](https://getreport.app/tools/image-compressor), which runs in your browser. - **WebP vs JPG:** Google reports lossy WebP files 25–34 % smaller than comparable JPEGs. - **WebP vs PNG:** Google reports lossless WebP files 26 % smaller than PNGs, with transparency kept. - **Is it safe?** Yes, it is just an image. Keep your browser and apps updated, as with any file format. ## What is WebP? WebP is an image format developed by Google and first released in 2010. Its lossy mode is based on the way the VP8 video codec compresses a single frame; Google added a separate lossless mode, transparency (an alpha channel) and animation in the following years. The format and its reference library, libwebp, are open source and free to use. The point of WebP was smaller images for the web. At the time, a site needed JPEG for photos, PNG for graphics with transparency and GIF for animation. WebP covers all three, and in Google's own comparisons, published in its WebP documentation, it does so with smaller files: - lossy WebP images were 25–34 % smaller than JPEG images at equivalent quality (measured with the SSIM index); - lossless WebP images were 26 % smaller than PNG images. The savings on your own images vary with the picture and the settings, but a smaller file at the same visible quality is typical. | | WebP | | --- | --- | | File extension | `.webp` | | MIME type | `image/webp` | | Compression | Lossy or lossless | | Transparency | Yes, in both modes | | Animation | Yes, as a replacement for animated GIF | | Colour depth | 8 bits per channel | | Maximum size | 16,383 × 16,383 pixels | ## Why do images download as WebP? Because the website served them that way. Many sites, shops and CDNs convert their images to WebP automatically, since smaller images make pages load faster, and some serve WebP to browsers that accept it even when the address ends in `.jpg`. When you right-click and save, you get the file the site actually sent. If you need a JPEG or PNG instead, convert the file after downloading it (see below). Browser extensions that "save as JPG" do the same conversion in one step. ## How to open a WebP file WebP is supported almost everywhere now: - **Web browsers:** every current version of Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari opens WebP. Drag the file into a browser window to view it. - **Windows 10 and 11:** the Photos app opens WebP. If it does not on your computer, install Microsoft's free **Web Media Extensions** from the Microsoft Store, which add WebP support to Windows apps. - **Mac:** Preview and Quick Look open WebP on macOS 11 Big Sur and later. - **iPhone and iPad:** Photos and Safari open WebP on iOS 14 and later. - **Android:** supported natively. - **Image editors:** Photoshop opens and saves WebP natively since version 23.2 (2022). GIMP, Affinity Photo, Paint.NET and most current editors also do. Older software, some email clients, some print services and some upload forms still do not accept WebP. For those, convert it. ## How to convert WebP to JPG or PNG **Windows, Paint:** right-click the file → Open with → Paint, then File → Save as and choose JPEG picture or PNG picture. **Mac, Preview:** open the file, then File → **Export**, choose JPEG or PNG in the Format menu, and save. **In your browser, several at once:** > **Free tool:** [Image compressor: WebP and AVIF, no upload](https://getreport.app/tools/image-compressor): Free image compressor for up to 50 JPEG, PNG or WebP images. Convert to WebP, AVIF or a smaller JPEG. Your files stay on your computer; nothing is uploaded. The getReport image compressor accepts WebP files and saves them as JPEG (or as a smaller WebP or AVIF), up to 50 at a time. It runs in your browser, so your files are never uploaded. Transparent areas become white in JPEG, because JPEG has no transparency. It does not write PNG; for a lossless copy with transparency, use Paint, Preview or an editor. **Command line:** Google's libwebp tools include `dwebp`, which decodes WebP to PNG: ```bash dwebp image.webp -o image.png ``` ImageMagick converts in either direction: `magick image.webp image.jpg`. To convert the other way, JPG or PNG to WebP, the same compressor or `cwebp -q 80 photo.jpg -o photo.webp` does it. Our step-by-step guide on [how to reduce image file size](https://getreport.app/guides/how-to-reduce-image-file-size) covers the settings. ## WebP vs JPG For photos on a website, WebP is the better choice in most cases: - **Smaller files** at the same visible quality: Google reports 25–34 % for lossy WebP against JPEG. - **Transparency**, which JPEG cannot do at all. - **Animation**, which JPEG cannot do either. JPG still has the edge in compatibility. Every program, email client, printer and social platform accepts JPEG, while some still do not accept WebP. Lossy WebP also always stores colour at half resolution (4:2:0 chroma subsampling), which can soften fine red or blue detail slightly more than a high-quality JPEG. On typical photos at normal size that is not visible. So: WebP for images on your own website, JPG for files you send to other people or platforms, and the Open Graph image that appears in link previews. ## WebP vs PNG For graphics, screenshots and images with transparency, lossless WebP does the same job as PNG in fewer bytes; Google reports 26 % smaller on average. Lossy WebP with transparency can be much smaller again for things like product cut-outs, where PNG was the only transparent option before. PNG is still the safer choice for files that must open everywhere, for master copies you edit repeatedly and for images with more than 8 bits per channel, which WebP does not support. Our comparison of [JPEG vs PNG](https://getreport.app/guides/jpeg-vs-png) explains the older choice in detail. ## WebP browser support WebP works in all current major browsers: | Browser | WebP support since | | --- | --- | | Chrome | 2014 (lossy since 2011) | | Edge | Edge 18 (2018) | | Firefox | Firefox 65 (2019) | | Safari | Safari 14 (2020), on macOS 11 Big Sur and later and iOS 14 | In practice every visitor on a current browser gets WebP. Sites that want to cover very old devices serve a JPEG fallback with the `` element, or let the server pick the format from the browser's `Accept` header. Both methods are shown in the guide to [modern image formats: WebP, AVIF and when JPEG is still fine](https://getreport.app/guides/modern-image-formats-webp-avif), which also compares WebP with AVIF, the newer format our explainer on [what an AVIF file is](https://getreport.app/guides/what-is-avif) covers. Google Search indexes WebP images in Google Images alongside JPEG, PNG and the other common formats, so switching does not hurt image search. ## Should your website use WebP? For almost every site, yes. Images are usually the heaviest part of a page, and the largest image is often the Largest Contentful Paint element, the Core Web Vital for loading. Serving photos as WebP instead of JPEG makes them smaller with no visible change. WordPress accepts WebP uploads since version 5.8, Shopify serves WebP automatically, and image CDNs convert on the fly. To see which images on a page are still JPEG or PNG: > **Free tool:** [Image size checker: find heavy images on a page](https://getreport.app/tools/image-size-checker): Free image size checker: list every image on a page with file size, format, real and displayed dimensions, and find the heavy files that slow it down. > **Check: Images are served in modern formats (WebP or AVIF).** WebP and AVIF are 25–50 % smaller than JPEG and PNG at the same quality. Smaller images load faster and cost visitors less data. > > 1. Convert images to WebP or AVIF and serve them with or content negotiation. > 2. WordPress: enable WebP/AVIF in your image plugin or CDN (Imagify, ShortPixel, Cloudflare Polish); Shopify does this automatically for its CDN. ## Is WebP safe? Yes. A WebP file is an image, like a JPEG or PNG, and cannot run code on its own. Like any file format, the software that decodes it can have bugs: in September 2023, a serious security flaw in libwebp (CVE-2023-4863) affected browsers and many apps, and was fixed in updates within days. Keeping your browser, operating system and apps updated is the protection, the same as for every other format. ## Questions people ask ### What is a WebP file used for? A WebP file is used mainly for images on websites, where its smaller size makes pages load faster. It replaces JPEG for photos, PNG for graphics with transparency and GIF for animations. You also see WebP in apps, chat stickers and downloads from sites that use it. For printing or sending to other people, JPEG or PNG is often more convenient. ### Is WebP better than JPG? For images on a website, usually yes. Google reports lossy WebP files 25–34 % smaller than comparable JPEGs at the same visual quality, and WebP adds transparency and animation. JPG is better for compatibility: every program, email client and printer accepts it. Use WebP on your own site and JPG when sending files elsewhere. ### Why can't I open a WebP file? Your program is probably older than its WebP support. Current browsers open WebP, so drag the file into Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari to view it. On Windows, install the free Web Media Extensions from the Microsoft Store; on a Mac, update to macOS 11 or later. To use the image in software that still refuses it, convert it to JPEG or PNG. ### Does converting WebP to JPG lose quality? A little, because JPEG compression is lossy and the image is compressed again. At a JPEG quality of 85 or more the difference is not visible for photos. The file is often larger than the WebP, and transparency is lost, since JPEG always has a solid background. Convert to PNG instead if you need exact pixels or transparency. ### Can WebP images be animated? Yes. WebP supports animation, like GIF, but with full colour and transparency, and the files are usually smaller than the same animation as a GIF. Animated WebP plays in all current browsers. Many image viewers and editors show only the first frame, so check in a browser if an animated WebP looks still.