What Is WebP, How to Open It and How to Convert It to JPG
You saved an image from a website and got a .webp file instead of a JPG. An older app won't open it, and an upload form rejects it.
Here's where WebP comes from, how to view it on a computer or phone, and how to get a regular JPG.
What WebP is
WebP is an image format Google introduced in 2010. It was designed to make web pages load faster.
According to Google, lossy WebP files are 25–34% smaller than JPGs of comparable quality. Lossless WebP is 26% smaller than PNG.
WebP can also store a transparent background like PNG and animation like GIF. That's why so many sites now serve images in it.
Why images from websites save as WebP
Your browser saves a file in whatever format the site sent. If the site serves WebP, you get WebP, even if it looked like an ordinary photo on the page.
Renaming .webp to .jpg won't help. The data inside is still WebP, and an app that doesn't support the format will still show an error.
How to open a WebP file
- Browser. Drag the file into a Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari tab. All of them display WebP.
- Windows. The Photos app in Windows 11 opens WebP. If it doesn't, install the free Webp Image Extensions from Microsoft in the Microsoft Store.
- macOS. Open the file in Preview. You can save a JPEG copy from there with File → Export.
- Photoshop. Full WebP support arrived in version 23.2. Older versions need a separate plug-in.
- Phone. Android galleries and iPhone Photos usually display WebP. The trouble starts when you need to send the file somewhere.
How to convert WebP to JPG online
- Open Convert to JPG and add your files: up to 20 at a time, up to 30 MB each.
- Conversion starts on its own. Files are processed in your browser and are never uploaded to a server.
- Download the result. JPG quality is 90%. Transparent areas turn white, because JPG can't store transparency.
WebP, JPG or PNG: which to use
Use JPG when a website form, a photo printer or an older app needs the file. Every device can open it.
If the image has a transparent background, such as a logo, convert it to PNG instead. PNG keeps the transparency, but the file is larger.
For your own website it's the other way round: convert photos to WebP so your pages load faster.
Questions and answers
Why is the JPG bigger than the WebP?
That's expected: WebP compresses more efficiently, so the same picture weighs more as a JPG. If a site has a size limit, compress the JPG to an exact size in KB.
Will the quality drop after conversion?
Not noticeably. The image is re-encoded at 90% quality, so the difference is hard to see. It won't look better than the original WebP, though.
What happens to an animated WebP?
JPG doesn't support animation, so you get a single frame. To keep the motion, you need another format such as GIF or video.
Can I convert several WebP files at once?
Yes, up to 20 files at a time. With several files, the finished JPGs download together as one ZIP archive.
Can anyone see my files during conversion?
No. The converter runs in your browser, and your files aren't sent anywhere.