.WEBP File Extension
WebP Image
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What is a WEBP file?
A WEBP file is an image saved in the WebP (pronounced "Weppy") raster image format developed by Google for web graphics. The WebP format reduces file size more than standard JPEG compression while maintaining similar or better image quality. It supports both lossy and lossless compression and includes an alpha channel for transparency, similar to the PNG format.
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Google developed the WebP format with technology it acquired from On2 Technologies in 2009 to improve upon the JPEG, PNG, and GIF formats. In 2010, Google released WebP as an open format, extending it with new features, such as animation, transparency, and additional metadata support, in subsequent years.
WebP features a container format based on the Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF), an open format developed by Microsoft and IBM. Additionally, lossy compression utilized in WebP is loosely based on the royalty-free VP8 video format. In contrast, a Google software engineer named Jyrki Alakuijala designed WebP's lossless compression algorithm.
How to open a WEBP file
You can open a WEBP file with various image editors, such as Image Magick (multiplatform) and XnViewMP (multiplatform). In addition, most major web browsers support WEBP files, including Google Chrome (multiplatform), Microsoft Edge (multiplatform), and Mozilla Firefox (multiplatform).
You can also open WEBP files with applications bundled with the Windows and macOS operating systems:
- In Windows, Microsoft Paint supports WebP images and you may also be able to open WebP images with Microsoft Photos by renaming their file extension to .jpg (this allows Photos to recognize the file as an image; it does not alter the internal formatting).
- In macOS, Apple Preview supports WebP images.
If you are an Android, iOS, or Chrome OS user, you can open WEBP files with Google Photos. You can also upload WebP images to Google Photos to view them with the web application.
How to convert a WEBP file
Several image editors, including Microsoft Paint and Apple Preview, can convert WEBP files to other formats.
For example, Microsoft Paint can convert WEBP files to the following formats: