What is a .webp file? (WebP)

WebP is Google's image format built for the web. It makes photos and graphics smaller than JPEG or PNG while keeping similar quality, and it supports transparency and animation, so it often replaces both PNG and GIF on modern sites.

What is a .webp file used for?

WebP comes in two flavours: lossy (like a smarter JPEG) and lossless (like a smaller PNG). Both usually beat the older formats on file size, which is why Google, and most speed-focused sites, serve images as WebP.

It also supports an alpha channel for transparency and can hold short animations, letting one format cover the jobs of JPEG, PNG and GIF at once.

Nearly every current browser reads WebP. The friction is on the desktop: some older photo tools and social platforms still expect JPG or PNG, so people convert WebP back when they hit one.

How to open a .webp file

The .webp format opens in the following apps, grouped by operating system. If one app does not work, try another from the same list. For a step-by-step walkthrough, see how to open a .webp file.

Windows

Photos
Edge and Chrome
IrfanView
Paint.NET

macOS

Preview (macOS 11+)
Safari
GIMP

Linux

GIMP
gThumb
Firefox
ImageMagick

Web

Any modern browser

How to convert a .webp file

You can convert a .webp file to PNG, JPG, GIF using a conversion tool or the export menu of an app that opens it.

Convert images free: ImageConvert

.webp file signature (magic bytes)

Programs recognise a .webp file by the bytes at the start of the file, not by its name. These are the signatures for WebP. For a full breakdown, see the WebP file signature page.

Hex signature	Offset	Note
52 49 46 46 ?? ?? ?? ?? 57 45 42 50	0	RIFF....WEBP

See the full magic-numbers reference for every format.

Frequently asked questions