.WEBP

How to Open a WEBP File

A .webp file is Google's image format for the web — it can be lossy (like JPG), lossless (like PNG, with real transparency), or animated (like GIF, but far smaller). Every current browser opens it natively. Here's what's really inside one.

Written & tested by the File-Extension.com team — see our testing methodology.

Category: Raster image / photo Developer: Google MIME type: image/webp Native support: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari

Open a WEBP File Online

Drop a .webp file below. It previews right in this page — including animated WebP — since your browser decodes it natively. You'll also get real technical details read straight from the file's own RIFF container: whether it's lossy, lossless or animated, its true dimensions, transparency, and any embedded ICC/EXIF/XMP metadata.

🔒 Nothing is uploaded — your file never leaves this device

On this page

  1. Open a WEBP file online (tool)
  2. Quick answer
  3. What is a WEBP file?
  4. Open on Windows
  5. Open on Mac, iPhone & Android
  6. WEBP vs JPG vs PNG vs AVIF
  7. Common problems & fixes
  8. Related file extensions
  9. Technical references
  10. FAQ
Fastest answer: Just open it — drag the file into any current browser tab (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari) and it displays immediately, animation included, no software needed. On Windows 10, the free "Web Media Extensions" from the Microsoft Store adds thumbnail and Photos-app support. If you need a copy in an older, universally-compatible format, use the "Convert to JPG" button in the tool above.

What is a WEBP file?

WEBP is an image format created by Google, designed specifically to make web pages load faster. It's built on RIFF, the same general-purpose chunked container format used by WAV audio and AVI video files, and inside that container it can hold one of three very different kinds of image data:

  • Lossy (VP8): compressed similarly to JPG, using the VP8 video codec's intra-frame coding — typically smaller than an equivalent-quality JPG.
  • Lossless (VP8L): pixel-perfect like PNG, with full alpha transparency — typically smaller than an equivalent PNG.
  • Extended (VP8X): a wrapper used whenever the image needs animation, an alpha channel alongside lossy compression, or embedded ICC/EXIF/XMP metadata.

That's exactly what this page's tool reads directly from the file's chunk structure — not guessed from the extension — in addition to asking your browser to decode and display the actual image.

How to open a WEBP file on Windows

  1. 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.
  2. Windows 11 shows WebP thumbnails and previews in File Explorer and Photos out of the box. On Windows 10, install the free "Web Media Extensions" from the Microsoft Store for the same support.
  3. Use the tool on this page for a preview (including animation) plus real technical details — nothing installs, nothing is uploaded.

How to open a WEBP file on Mac, iPhone & Android

  1. Mac (macOS Big Sur or later): Double-click the file — it opens in Preview automatically.
  2. iPhone/iPad: Safari and the Photos app display WebP images natively on recent iOS versions; if a specific app doesn't, open the file in Safari instead.
  3. Android: Chrome and most modern photo galleries display WebP natively — Android has supported it as a save/share format for years.
  4. Any platform: the tool on this page works identically everywhere a modern browser runs.

WEBP vs JPG vs PNG vs AVIF

All four store a compressed photo, but differ in codec, features and how widely they're supported:

  • JPG — oldest, universally supported, lossy only, no transparency. Least efficient of the four.
  • PNG — universally supported, lossless only, full transparency, but files are large.
  • WEBP — Google's format, can be lossy or lossless in the same container, supports transparency and animation, usually smaller than JPG or PNG at equivalent quality. Native support is now essentially universal.
  • AVIF — newer, AV1-based, usually the smallest of all four at equivalent quality, and also natively supported everywhere current — but tooling and editor support is a bit less mature than WebP's.

See the archive format comparison on this site for the equivalent breakdown if you're choosing between ZIP, RAR, 7Z, ISO and TORRENT instead of image formats.

Common WEBP file problems and how to fix them

Photo shows as a broken-image icon

This is unusual for WebP 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, printers 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 animation doesn't play in an older program

Animated WebP support in desktop editors lags behind browsers. Check for a recent update, or use the tool above to grab a single frame as a static JPG/PNG.

Technical references

WebP's container and codec are defined by Google in specifications published on the WebmProject site.

Frequently asked questions

What program opens a .webp file?

Every current major browser — Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari — opens a .webp file directly, since WebP decoding (including animated WebP) is built in natively. On Windows 11, File Explorer and the Photos app show WebP thumbnails and previews out of the box; Windows 10 may need the free "Web Media Extensions" from the Microsoft Store. On Mac, Preview and Photos support WebP from macOS Big Sur onward.

Is WEBP the same as JPG or PNG?

No, but it can replace either. WebP supports two very different modes: lossy (similar tradeoffs to JPG, but usually smaller at the same quality) and lossless (similar to PNG, with full transparency support, but usually smaller). A single .webp file uses only one of these modes — this page's tool tells you which one your file actually is.

Can a WEBP file be animated, like a GIF?

Yes. Animated WebP works like an animated GIF but with much better compression, full transparency, and no 256-color limit. It stores a series of frames inside "ANMF" chunks in the same container. This page's tool detects animation and reports the real frame count read from the file.

Why won't a website or app accept my WEBP upload?

Some websites, content management systems, printers and older editing tools still only accept JPG or PNG. Convert the file first using the tool on this page, then upload the converted copy.

Last updated September 23, 2026.