How to Open an AVIF File
A .avif file is a modern, highly-efficient photo format based on the royalty-free AV1 video codec — increasingly the default export from cameras, design tools and websites. Unlike Apple's HEIC, every current major browser opens it natively. Here's what's really inside one.
Open an AVIF File Online
Drop a .avif file below. It previews right in this page, since AVIF's AV1 codec decodes natively in your browser. You'll also get real technical details read straight from the file's own container — bit depth, chroma subsampling, transparency — plus any embedded EXIF/GPS metadata, and a genuinely computed comparison of how much smaller this file is than an equivalent JPG.
🔒 Nothing is uploaded — your file never leaves this deviceNo EXIF metadata was found in this file — it's likely been stripped, or the photo was created/edited by a tool that doesn't embed it.
On this page
What is an AVIF file?
AVIF (AV1 Image File Format) stores a still photo compressed with the AV1 video codec — the same royalty-free, open-source codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia), a consortium including Google, Mozilla, Netflix, Apple and Amazon. Because AV1 has no licensing fees and was designed from the ground up for high efficiency, AVIF typically produces noticeably smaller files than JPG at the same visual quality, and every current major browser can decode it without any plugin or extension.
Structurally, an AVIF file is built on the same ISO-BMFF/HEIF container format as Apple's HEIC — a series of nested "boxes" describing one or more embedded AV1-encoded images, their properties (dimensions, bit depth, color info), and metadata like EXIF and GPS location. That's exactly what this page's tool reads directly, in addition to asking your browser to decode and display the actual photo.
How to open an AVIF file on Windows
- Open it directly in Chrome, Edge or Firefox — just drag the file into a browser tab, or double-click it if a browser is set as the default handler.
- For thumbnails in File Explorer and support in the Photos app, install the free "AV1 Video Extension" from the Microsoft Store (and "Raw Image Extension" on some Windows 10 builds).
- Use the tool on this page for a preview plus real technical details and metadata — nothing installs, nothing is uploaded.
How to open an AVIF file on Mac, iPhone & Android
- Mac (macOS Ventura or later): Double-click the file — it opens in Preview automatically.
- iPhone/iPad: Safari and the Photos app display AVIF images natively on recent iOS versions; if a specific app doesn't, open the file in Safari instead.
- Android: Chrome displays AVIF files natively; most modern Android photo galleries support it as well.
- Any platform: the tool on this page works identically everywhere a modern browser runs.
AVIF vs HEIC vs JPG
All three store a compressed photo inside a container, but they differ in the codec used and how widely that codec is supported:
- JPG — oldest, royalty-free, universally supported, but the least efficient: largest files at a given quality.
- HEIC — Apple's format, uses the licensed HEVC codec. Smaller than JPG, but outside Apple devices, most browsers (Chrome, Firefox) can't decode it at all without help.
- AVIF — uses the royalty-free AV1 codec. Usually the smallest of the three at equivalent quality, and — unlike HEIC — decodes natively in every current major browser, which is why it's rapidly becoming the web's preferred format for photos.
Common AVIF file problems and how to fix them
Photo shows as a broken-image icon
This is unusual for AVIF since support is so broad, but it can happen in an outdated browser or older image-editing software. Update your browser, or convert the file to JPG using the tool on this page.
"Unsupported file type" when uploading to a website
Some websites and content management systems still only accept JPG or PNG uploads. Convert the file first with the tool above, then upload the converted copy.
The file won't open in an older photo-editing program
Desktop editing software adds AVIF support more slowly than browsers do. Check for a recent update, or convert to JPG or PNG as a widely-compatible fallback for editing.
Frequently asked questions
What program opens a .avif file?
Every current major browser — Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari — opens a .avif file directly, since AVIF decoding is built in natively. On Windows 10/11, the free "AV1 Video Extension" and "Raw Image Extension" from the Microsoft Store add support to Photos and File Explorer thumbnails. On Mac, Preview and Photos support AVIF from macOS Ventura onward.
Is AVIF better than JPG?
For file size at equivalent visual quality, yes — AVIF typically produces files 30-50% smaller than JPG, and this page's tool computes a real comparison for your own file. AVIF also supports higher bit depth (10/12-bit vs JPG's 8-bit), transparency, and less visible compression artifacting. The trade-off is compatibility: JPG opens absolutely everywhere, while AVIF support, though now widespread, is newer and occasionally still missing in older software, some email clients, and some image-editing tools.
What's the difference between AVIF and HEIC?
Both are modern, efficient image containers built on the same ISO-BMFF/HEIF structure, but they use different video codecs inside: AVIF uses AV1, which is royalty-free and decodes natively in every major browser; HEIC uses HEVC (H.265), which is patent-licensed and — outside Apple devices — often isn't supported by browsers at all. That's why AVIF has become the web's preferred modern image format, while HEIC remains mostly an Apple-ecosystem format.
Why won't a website accept my AVIF upload?
Some websites, content management systems and older tools still only accept JPG or PNG uploads, even though browsers can display AVIF. Convert the file first using the tool on this page, then upload the converted copy.
Last updated September 21, 2026.