What Is a WEBP File?

The basics of Google’s lightweight image file format for the web

By
Molly McLaughlin
Molly McLaughlin
Molly McLaughlin
Senior Editor & Content Strategist
Molly K. McLaughlin has been a technology editor and writer for over a dozen years. She runs product reviews for Lifewire, overseeing the process from hands-on testing to publishing.
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Updated on August 2, 2021
Reviewed by
Ryan Perian
Ryan Perian headshot
Reviewed by Ryan Perian
  • Western Governors University
Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions.
lifewire's editorial guidelines

A WebP file is a Google-developed file format for images. It reduces the size of image files while retaining quality. WebP files make websites load faster since larger image files slow down the loading of a web page. The format also saves battery life on mobile devices. Google says WebP images are about 30 percent smaller than PNG and JPG images at the same quality.

The company released this format in 2010 and has a page dedicated to the compression techniques that WebP uses.

The following browsers and operating systems support WebP:

  • Chrome
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Opera
  • Android's built-in browser
  • Safari 14 and up

How Do I Open a WebP File?

You don't need any special software or a particular web browser to open a WebP file. In most cases, you can double-click it, and it will open in your default browser. If you want to edit a WebP file, you can open it in built-in software like MS Paint on Windows or Mac's Preview app. You can either open the program first and open the WebP file or right-click on the file, select Open With, and select the software.

How Do I Convert a WebP File to JPG?

You can't use most image editing programs to convert WebP to JPG. The easiest method is using Microsoft Paint using the Save As function. You can then open the file in Photoshop or GIMP and make further edits. In the Mac's Preview app, go to File > Export, then pick the file format you wish to use. There are also many free online image conversion tools available.

How Do I Stop Chrome From Saving Images in WebP?

If you want to save an image you see online, you can right-click it and select Save image as. In most cases, it will default to the .webp format. You can't stop Chrome from saving images in this format, but you can use a browser that doesn't support it. In these browsers, when you save an image, it saves to JPG or PNG.

FAQ
  • Are WebP files safe?

    Yes, in general. WebP files typically only contain compressed images and nothing else that can harm your computer. Just like JPG or PNG files, WebP files can sometimes contain viruses, so it's best to scan files you download for malware.

  • How do I convert a JPG to a WebP file?

    Photoshop and some other editors give you an option to export images in the WebP format. Alternatively, use an online tool like Convertio.

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