What is a WebP file? How to convert it to JPG or PNG
A WebP file is a picture in WebP, the image format Google made for the web. It's about a quarter to a third smaller than a JPG or PNG of the same quality, so websites send it to every browser that accepts it, and that's why "Save image as" gives you a .webp. Browsers, Windows 11 Photos and Mac Preview open it, but many upload forms, older editors and print services don't. Convert photos to JPG on tuul.io/webp-to-jpg/ and graphics with transparency to PNG on tuul.io/webp-to-png/.
What WebP is
WebP is an image format Google released in 2010 for faster web pages. It does what JPG, PNG and GIF do, in one format:
- Lossy, like JPG, for photos. Google measured lossy WebP at 25 to 34% smaller than a JPG of comparable quality.
- Lossless, like PNG, for logos, icons and screenshots. Lossless WebP is about 26% smaller than PNG.
- Transparency, like PNG, in both modes.
- Animation, like GIF, usually in a smaller file.
| WebP | JPG | PNG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Pictures on websites | Photos | Graphics, screenshots, logos |
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | Lossy | Lossless |
| Transparency | Yes | No | Yes |
| Animation | Yes | No | No (GIF does it) |
| File size | Smallest | Small | Large for photos |
| Opens everywhere | Not yet | Yes | Yes |
The last row is the whole problem. Every current browser shows WebP, and MDN calls it an “excellent choice” for websites. Outside the browser, support is newer and patchier.
Why pictures save as .webp
When your browser asks a website for a picture, it says which formats it can show. Chrome and Edge send image/avif,image/webp,image/apng,image/*, and Safari and Firefox send a similar list with WebP in it. Google’s WebP FAQ says that once a server sees WebP in that list, it “knows it can safely send WebP images.”
Many sites, shops and image services do exactly that. Cloudflare’s image optimiser, for example, serves the WebP version “only when the Accept header from the browser includes WebP” and it’s clearly smaller. The address of the picture may still end in .jpg, but what arrives is a WebP. When you right-click it and choose Save image as, the browser saves what it received, and you get a .webp file.
So nothing is wrong with your browser. The site is just saving bandwidth. You can’t switch it off in Chrome’s settings, but you can convert the file in a few seconds.
Keep it or convert it?
Keep the WebP when:
- You’re putting the picture on your own website or blog. That’s what WebP is for.
- You only want to look at it. Browsers, Windows 11 Photos, and Preview on macOS 11 and later open WebP files.
- It’s an animation you want to keep moving. Converting to JPG or PNG keeps only the first frame.
Convert it when:
- An upload form says “JPG or PNG only”, or refuses the file.
- You want to edit it in an older photo editor, or put it in an older version of Word or PowerPoint.
- You’re sending it to someone whose phone, printer or photo frame might not open it, or ordering prints.
Don’t convert back and forth. Each lossy save loses a little detail, so convert once, from the WebP you saved, and keep the result.
JPG or PNG?
- Photos: JPG. It’s the smallest format that opens everywhere. At 90% quality a converted photo looks the same as the WebP.
- Logos, icons, screenshots and anything with a transparent background: PNG. It’s lossless and keeps transparency. JPG has no transparency, so transparent areas are filled with white or black.
PNG can’t bring back detail a lossy WebP already threw away; it only makes sure nothing more is lost. That’s why a photo saved as PNG is several times bigger than the same photo as JPG, without looking better.
How to convert WebP to JPG or PNG in your browser
- Open tuul.io/webp-to-jpg for photos, or tuul.io/webp-to-png for graphics and transparent pictures, in any browser on your computer or phone.
- Drag your .webp files onto the page or tap Choose files. Add as many as you like; there’s no limit.
- For JPG, leave the quality at 90% or lower it for smaller files, and choose whether transparent areas become white or black.
- Download each file, or press Download all for one ZIP file.
The pictures are converted on your device and never uploaded. Metadata such as camera details and location is left out. An animated WebP becomes a still picture of its first frame, and its row says so. If the JPGs are still too big for a form, make them smaller on tuul.io/image-compressor.
Converting without a website
For a single picture, your computer can do it too:
- Windows 11: open the WebP in Photos, choose Resize image, keep the size and save it as JPG or PNG.
- Mac: open the WebP in Preview, choose File > Export, pick JPEG or PNG as the format, and save.
That’s fine for one or two files. For a folder of them, a batch converter is faster.
Sources
- Google for Developers: An image format for the Web: the size comparisons with JPG and PNG, transparency and animation.
- Google for Developers: WebP FAQ: how servers use the browser’s Accept header to send WebP.
- MDN: Image file type and format guide: browser support, and WebP compared with JPG and PNG.
- MDN: List of default Accept values: what Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari ask for.
- Cloudflare Docs: Polish compression: an image service that sends WebP only to browsers that accept it.
Questions
Why does Chrome save images as WebP?
Because the website sent a WebP. Chrome tells every site it can show WebP and AVIF, and many sites and image services then send the smallest format the browser accepts. Chrome saves the file it received, so it ends in .webp even when the page looked like it showed a JPG.
Can I rename a .webp file to .jpg?
That changes only the name, not the picture inside. Some viewers open it anyway because they look at the contents, but upload forms that check the file refuse it or show it broken. Convert it instead, for example on tuul.io/webp-to-jpg/, which makes a real JPG.
Is WebP better than JPG?
For websites, usually yes. Google measured lossy WebP at 25 to 34% smaller than JPG at the same quality, and WebP can also hold transparency and animation. For sending, printing or uploading to forms, JPG is safer because everything accepts it.
Does converting WebP to JPG lose quality?
Only a little. JPG is lossy, so the picture is compressed once more, but at 90% quality, the default on tuul.io/webp-to-jpg/, the difference isn't visible. Converting to PNG on tuul.io/webp-to-png/ loses nothing more, but gives a bigger file.