How to open a .bmp file
Quick, free ways to open BMP on any system.
A .bmp file is a Bitmap Image File. If double-clicking does nothing, your computer simply does not have an app that reads BMP yet. Here is how to fix that on each operating system, using free software wherever possible.
Open a .bmp file step by step
- Confirm the file really is a .bmp. Drop it into the WhatFileType file identifier, which reads its signature without uploading anything.
- On Windows, open it with Photos or Paint.
- On Mac, use Preview or any browser.
- On Linux, try Image Viewer or GIMP.
- Still stuck? Convert the .bmp to PNG, which opens more widely.
Best apps to open .bmp files
Windows
- Photos
- Paint
- any browser
macOS
- Preview
- any browser
Linux
- Image Viewer
- GIMP
Web
- Most browsers
!
Before you open it: Safe. BMP is uncompressed pixel data with no scripting.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I open my .bmp file?
Almost always because no installed app understands BMP. Install one of the apps above, or convert the file to a format your existing software already reads.
Why is my BMP file so big?
BMP stores pixels with little compression. Convert to PNG for the same lossless quality at a much smaller size.