How to Open AVIF File on Windows, Mac, iPhone & Android

What is an AVIF file?

An AVIF file is an image saved in the AV1 Image File Format: a photo or graphic compressed with the royalty-free AV1 video codec and stored in the same HEIF container family that Apple uses for HEIC. It was created by the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia — Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Mozilla and others) and version 1.0.0 was published on February 19, 2019. AVIF files are usually much smaller than JPG at the same visual quality, and every current browser opens them.

You mostly meet AVIF files on the web: many sites now send AVIF instead of JPG because it loads faster, so Save image as gives you a .avif. Cameras and phones don't shoot AVIF; iPhones save HEIC and most Android phones save JPG.

AVIF at a glance

Why did my image download as .avif?

The website chose the format, not you. Modern sites and image CDNs check which formats your browser accepts and, if it supports AVIF, send AVIF because it is smaller. When you right-click > Save image as, the browser saves exactly what it received. It's the same thing that happens with WEBP images.

If you need a JPG instead, any of these works:

1. Convert it in your browser: use the Convert to JPG button in the viewer above, or the dedicated page to convert AVIF to JPG (several files at once, nothing uploaded).
2. Copy and paste: right-click the image on the website, choose Copy image, paste it into Paint (Windows) or Preview's File > New from Clipboard (Mac), then save as JPG or PNG.
3. Re-save on your computer: open the .avif in Paint or Preview and save a JPG copy (steps below).

Open AVIF files on Windows 11 and 10

Chrome, Edge (version 121 and later) and Firefox open AVIF files on any Windows PC. Photos, Paint, File Explorer thumbnails and even Office use Windows' own image codecs, and AVIF needs one free package from Microsoft. Many Windows 11 PCs already have it; if AVIF files show a blank icon or Photos says it can't open them, install it:

1. Open the Microsoft Store and search for AV1 Video Extension (published by Microsoft Corporation, free).
2. Click Get and wait for it to install, then reopen Photos.
3. Open AVIF file by double-clicking: it now opens in Photos, shows a thumbnail in File Explorer and opens in Paint.

• Windows N or KN editions (sold in Europe and Korea without media apps) need Microsoft's free Media Feature Pack first, or the AV1 extension won't work.
• Free image viewers: XnView MP opens and batch-converts AVIF; IrfanView opens it after you install its free PlugIns package; paint.net has opened AVIF since 2019.
• Word and PowerPoint for Windows rely on the same Windows codec, so once the extension is installed you can insert AVIF pictures.

Open AVIF files on Mac

• macOS Ventura (13) or later: double-click the file and it opens in Preview. Photos, Quick Look (press the space bar in Finder) and Safari support it too.
• macOS Big Sur or Monterey: Preview can't open AVIF, but Safari 16.4 and later can, as can Chrome and Firefox. Drag the file into a browser window.
• Older macOS: use Chrome or Firefox, which bring their own AVIF decoder, or the viewer above.

Open AVIF files on iPhone, iPad and Android

• iPhone and iPad (iOS / iPadOS 16 or later): tap the file in the Files app or open it in Safari. To keep it in your library, open it and choose Share > Save Image. On iOS 15 and earlier the system can't decode AVIF.
• Android 12 or later: the system decodes AVIF, so Google Photos and most galleries show it. On older Android versions, open the file in Chrome, which has supported AVIF since version 85.

Phones display AVIF, but their cameras don't save photos in it. If a photo from a friend's iPhone won't open, it's probably a HEIC file, not an AVIF.

Which versions support AVIF?

If an AVIF file won't open, the app or system is usually a few years out of date. These are the first versions with built-in support for still AVIF images:

Edit AVIF in Photoshop, GIMP and other editors

On an older Photoshop that rejects .avif files, convert the file to PNG first (lossless, keeps transparency) and edit that.

Save an AVIF as JPG or PNG on your computer

To make a JPG or PNG copy without any website:

• Mac (Ventura or later): open the file in Preview, choose File > Export, set Format to JPEG (with a Quality slider) or PNG, and save. For many files at once, select them in Finder and use Quick Actions > Convert Image.
• Windows: with the AV1 Video Extension installed, open the file in Paint and use File > Save as > JPEG picture.
• Any OS, command line: libavif's avifdec writes PNG or JPG; ImageMagick's magick works too if built with AVIF support.
• In the browser, nothing uploaded: the viewer above, or the converters for AVIF to JPG, AVIF to PNG and AVIF to WEBP.

Animated AVIF files

AVIF can also hold an animation, like a GIF but much smaller. Animated files use the same .avif extension but declare the avis brand inside. Chrome, Firefox and Safari play them. Many photo viewers and editors show only the first frame or refuse the file. The viewer above tells you whether a file is animated. To share one where AVIF isn't accepted, convert it to an MP4 or GIF with a video tool such as FFmpeg.

AVIF vs JPG vs WEBP vs HEIC

For a full comparison with PNG and real file-size tests, see the best image format guide.

AVIF looks washed out, too dark or too bright

Unlike JPG, AVIF can store HDR images (10- or 12-bit, using the PQ or HLG transfer curves) and wide color gamuts such as Display P3 or BT.2020. An HDR AVIF looks right only in software and on screens that handle it. Elsewhere it can appear flat and grayish, overly dark, or — on an HDR display — startlingly bright next to everything else.

• Check the viewer's HDR and Color rows: "PQ" or "HLG" means the file was made for HDR screens.
• Compare in a current Chrome, Edge or Safari, which tone-map HDR images. If it looks fine there, the other app is the problem, not the file.
• For sharing or printing, convert it to JPG or PNG. The copy is standard-range and looks the same everywhere, but loses the extra HDR highlight detail.

Where AVIF works, and where it doesn't yet

• Websites: WordPress accepts AVIF uploads since version 6.5 (2024), and Discord has supported AVIF images since March 2025. Many older content management systems, forms and online shops still accept only JPG or PNG.
• Link previews on social media: many link-preview crawlers don't read AVIF, so a page whose share image is AVIF can show no picture. Use a JPG for share images.
• Email: some email programs don't display AVIF attachments inline. Send a JPG if you're not sure.

Is it safe to open an AVIF file?

Yes. An AVIF is an image, not a program, and opening it in an up-to-date browser or photo app is safe. Two things to watch: keep your browser and Windows updated, since image decoders occasionally get security fixes, and check that the name really ends in .avif. A file called photo.avif.exe is a program pretending to be a picture; turn on View > Show > File name extensions in File Explorer to see the real ending.

AVIF file won't open? Common problems and fixes

Blank thumbnail or "This file format isn't supported" in Photos

Windows is missing the AV1 codec. Install the free AV1 Video Extension (see the Windows steps); on Windows N editions, install the Media Feature Pack first.

Broken-image icon in the browser

The browser is out of date (Edge before 121, Safari before 16.4) or the file is incomplete. Update the browser, or drop the file into the viewer above: if it can't read the file either, the download is probably damaged.

"Unsupported file type" when uploading to a website

The site only accepts JPG or PNG. Convert the AVIF to JPG and upload the copy.

Only the first frame shows

It's an animated AVIF and the app only supports still images. Open it in Chrome, Firefox or Safari.

The file is named .avif but nothing can open it

It may not really be an AVIF. The viewer above checks the file's internal signature; if it reports another format, identify it with the unknown file identifier.

Related file extensions

Sources and technical references

Facts on this page were checked against these sources on October 3, 2026:

• AV1 Image File Format (AVIF) specification — Alliance for Open Media — brands, bit depths, alpha and HDR.
• AVIF image format — Can I use — browser versions and global support.
• AVIF — Wikipedia — release date, operating-system and editor support history.
• How to view AVIF files on Windows — Free-Codecs.com — AV1 Video Extension, N editions and image viewers.
• AVIF image format — Have Camera Will Travel — editor support and link-preview caveat.
• ITU-T H.273 coding-independent code points — the color codes the viewer decodes (PQ, HLG, BT.2020).

Frequently asked questions