What Is a WebP File? (And How to Open or Convert It)

You saved an image from a website and got a .webp file instead of a JPG or PNG. Here's what WebP actually is, why websites use it, and how to convert it to something you can actually use.

You Downloaded an Image and Got a .webp File

You right-click an image on a website, hit "Save image as," and instead of getting a normal JPG or PNG, you get something called a .webp file. Now your photo editor won't open it. You can't upload it anywhere. Your printer doesn't recognize it.

You're not doing anything wrong. The web just quietly switched to a new image format, and most of the tools you use haven't caught up yet.

What Is WebP?

WebP is an image format created by Google in 2010. It does the same thing as JPG and PNG — stores images — but with significantly smaller file sizes. We're talking 25-35% smaller than an equivalent JPG and up to 26% smaller than a PNG, with no visible difference in quality.

That's why websites love it. Smaller images mean faster page loads, which means better user experience and higher Google rankings. It's a win for website owners, but a headache for everyone trying to save those images.

WebP also has a few tricks that JPG and PNG can't both do:

Lossy and lossless compression — Like having JPG and PNG in one format

Transparency — PNG-style transparency at a fraction of the file size

Animation — GIF-style animation but dramatically smaller and sharper

Rich color — Supports the same color profiles as modern displays

Why Is Every Website Using It Now?

Adoption exploded between 2020 and 2024. Here's the timeline:

2018: Chrome supported WebP, but Safari and Firefox didn't — so most sites stuck with JPG/PNG

2020: Firefox added support

2022: Safari finally added support in macOS Ventura and iOS 16

2024-present: With every major browser on board, there was no reason not to switch

Today, over 95% of web traffic comes from browsers that support WebP. Most content management systems (WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace) now automatically convert uploaded images to WebP before serving them. Even if the site owner uploaded a JPG, you might download a WebP.

The Problem: Everything Else Doesn't Support It

Browsers love WebP. The rest of the world? Not so much.

Here's what typically can't open or work with WebP files:

Older versions of Photoshop (pre-2022) — need a plugin

Microsoft Office — Word, PowerPoint, and Excel still struggle with WebP

Many printing services — Most expect JPG, PNG, TIFF, or PDF

Social media uploads — Some platforms accept WebP, others silently reject it

Email clients — Inconsistent support across Outlook, Apple Mail, and Gmail

Older operating systems — Windows 10 (pre-update) and older macOS versions

So you end up in this frustrating cycle: the web gives you WebP, and everything else wants JPG or PNG.

How to Convert WebP to JPG or PNG

The Fast Way (Online)

The quickest option is an online converter:

Go to fluidconvert.com/convert/webp-to-jpg (or webp-to-png if you need transparency)
Drop your .webp file into the upload area
Click Convert Now
Download your JPG or PNG

No software to install, works on any device, and your file is automatically deleted after conversion.

On Mac (Preview)

macOS has supported WebP in Preview since Ventura (macOS 13):

Open the .webp file in Preview
Go to File > Export
Choose JPEG or PNG from the Format dropdown
Click Save

If you're on an older macOS version, Preview won't open WebP at all — use the online method instead.

On Windows

Windows 11 can display WebP natively in the Photos app, but saving as JPG takes a workaround:

Open the .webp file in Paint
Click File > Save as > JPEG picture (or PNG)
Choose your save location

Paint isn't ideal for quality — it recompresses aggressively. For important images, an online converter preserves more detail.

In Photoshop

Photoshop 23.2 (2022) and later open WebP natively. For older versions, you'll need the WebPShop plugin from Google or just convert the file before opening it.

Should I Convert JPG/PNG to WebP?

If you run a website, absolutely. Converting your images to WebP can cut your page load time significantly. Even a basic site with a dozen images will see meaningful speed improvements.

You can convert images to WebP at fluidconvert.com/convert/jpg-to-webp or png-to-webp.

A few things to keep in mind:

Keep your originals. Always save the original JPG/PNG files. WebP is great for serving on the web, but you want full-quality originals for printing, editing, or future use.

Use lossy for photos, lossless for graphics. Photos (gradients, lots of colors) compress well with lossy WebP. Screenshots, logos, and text-heavy images are better with lossless.

Check your audience. If a significant portion of your users are on very old browsers or devices, serve JPG/PNG as a fallback.

WebP vs. AVIF: The Next Format War

Just when the world got comfortable with WebP, a newer format is gaining traction: AVIF.

AVIF (AV1 Image File Format) offers even better compression than WebP — roughly 20% smaller at the same quality. It supports HDR, wide color gamut, and film grain synthesis. Chrome, Firefox, and Safari all support it now.

So is AVIF replacing WebP? Not yet. AVIF is significantly slower to encode (which matters for on-the-fly conversion), and browser support, while growing, isn't as universal as WebP's 95%+ coverage. For now, WebP remains the practical choice for most websites.

Bottom Line

WebP is the reason your saved images don't open in half your apps. It's a genuinely better format for the web — smaller, faster, supports transparency and animation — but the rest of the software world is still catching up.

When you need a WebP file to just work everywhere, convert it to JPG (for photos) or PNG (for graphics with transparency). It takes seconds, and you'll never have to explain to your printer why your file won't open.