{"id":20922,"date":"2026-07-21T15:27:50","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T14:27:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/letrat.eu\/?p=20922"},"modified":"2026-07-21T19:44:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T18:44:09","slug":"webp-avif-files-better-later-than-never","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/letrat.eu\/?p=20922","title":{"rendered":"WebP & AVIF files – Better Later Than Never !"},"content":{"rendered":"

Google owes me 40 ice creams<\/strong> – I learned how to open-edit WebP files so late, terribly late… in 2026, actually just about when those files are going to be replaced by AVIF files. I discovered today that I was for years “late”, at least since 2022, the “discovery” of this came when I asked Google AI why I don’t know how to edit WebP files, and what’s the point of such files, why keeping me in the “dark”? Google, you made me feel stupid for 4 years, just give me 40 ice creams and we’re even, I’m not asking for much : )<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

[ Google AI<\/strong> ]
\nWebP is being pushed by major tech companies, particularly Google, primarily because it delivers significantly smaller file sizes (often 25… 35% smaller) than JPEGs and PNGs without sacrificing image quality. For website owners, these smaller files mean faster page loads, less bandwidth consumption, and better mobile performance.<\/p>\n

Websites are universally adopting WebP because of these key advantages:
\nFaster Load Times – Smaller images allow pages to load significantly quicker, which improves SEO and user retention.
\nAdvanced Compression – Unlike JPEGs, WebP supports transparent backgrounds (like a PNG) and can even support animations (like a GIF), eliminating the need to use different file formats.
\nAutomated Delivery – Many Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) now automatically detect your browser’s capabilities and serve a WebP version of an image behind the scenes, making it the default across the modern internet.<\/p>\n

While it’s great for website performance, it causes frustration when trying to save and edit images on a personal computer. If you want to bypass this hassle, you can use browser extensions like Save image as Type or the Don’t Accept WEBP add-on, which force websites to serve you traditional JPEGs or PNGs instead.<\/p>\n

 
\n[ Me<\/strong> ]
\nOkay, great… but how to edit them, also shouldn’t Google try to reach first the major players like Adobe (so Photoshop supports WebP files), Microsoft, Apple etc… or you just force the world to use it, cause you feel powerful, internet is yours anyway : )<\/em><\/p>\n

[ Google AI<\/strong> ]
\nYour frustration is completely valid, and you are spot on about the friction it causes. It feels like the tech industry put the cart before the horse by rolling out a format across the internet before everyday desktop software was ready to handle it. To clarify how this happened: while Google created the format, they cannot technically “force” Adobe or other companies to update their software.<\/p>\n

However, because Google controls the world’s most popular web browser (Chrome) and the dominant search engine (which penalizes slow websites), website owners rushed to adopt WebP to keep their search rankings high. This created a massive wave that left desktop software playing catch-up.<\/p>\n

The good news is that the “major players” have finally caught up. Here is how you can easily edit WebP files today, along with how the big software companies currently handle them. You no longer need to find workarounds for modern versions of Adobe software. Photoshop 23.2 and Newer – Adobe added native WebP support in February 2022. You can open, edit, and save WebP files directly without any tweaks. Older Photoshop Versions – If you are using an older version, you can download the official, free WebPShop plugin from Adobe’s help page. You just drop the plugin file into your Photoshop “Plug-ins” folder to unlock full editing capabilities.<\/p>\n

[ https:\/\/helpx.adobe.com\/photoshop\/kb\/support-webp-image-format.html ]<\/p>\n

Free Desktop Editors That Work Natively<\/p>\n

If you want to edit these files without dealing with Adobe subscriptions, several powerful, free desktop programs handle WebP seamlessly out of the box:
\nGIMP – This free, open-source Photoshop alternative has full, native WebP support. You can drag and drop any WebP image right into the canvas.
\nPaint.NET – A popular, lightweight Windows image editor that fully supports opening and saving WebP images without needing extra configuration.
\nCanva – If you prefer quick, browser-based editing, you can upload WebP files directly into Canva to edit and download them as JPEGs.<\/p>\n

If you just want to quickly change a WebP image into a JPG or PNG on your computer without opening a heavy image editor, you can use built-in system tools:
\nWindows (MS Paint) – Right-click the WebP file, select Open With > Paint, and then click File > Save As to save it as a standard JPG or PNG.
\nMac (Preview) – Double-click the image to open it in Preview, go to File > Export, and change the format dropdown menu from WebP to JPEG.<\/p>\n

 
\n[ Me<\/strong> ]
\nAh, again thank you, me knew nothing : ) and you know everything, that’s why I asked, we just see our browser opens them, we see images while reading web articles, so no issues… but then you also have no clue, you forget and you go, learning nothing. After some years you want to edit an image, nothing what you have used for 20 years supports the idea to edit an ordinary WebP image, that’s the moment when it becomes “weird”, before we edited images normally, now as if it says “you’re stupid” : )<\/p>\n

…so then you’re kinda “forced” to ask, and then a smart AI tells you – open your image first with Paint, and then save as… (as simple as that, simple idea, but me had no idea : )
\nAI also informs us “why” WebP made our life harder, there were reasons why Google was imposing it to the world, so it goes both ways, tech advances and we learn how great things change while developing tech, soon or later we all are forced to ask the AI. The truth is, as absurd as it may seem, after Google’s evolution with WebP-format … since 2022 me no idea how to edit a simple WebP image, luckily I asked Google AI today, better later than never : )<\/em><\/p>\n

[ Google AI<\/strong> ]
\nIt is not absurd at all – it makes complete sense why you felt that way! For decades, the internet used JPEG, PNG, and GIF. They just worked everywhere. When a tech company shifts the ground underneath you, and your trusted 20-year-old software suddenly says “file format not supported,” it absolutely feels like a roadblock out of nowhere.<\/p>\n

Tech changes fast behind the scenes, but human habits and desktop software change slowly. Until you are forced to ask, there is no reason you should have known about a hidden Windows Paint update or a Photoshop plugin. That is exactly what AI is here for – to bridge that gap so you don’t have to waste hours pulling your hair out.<\/p>\n

 
\n[ Me<\/strong> ]
\nWebP isn’t the final stop ? WHAT do you mean? again me late, me always late : (<\/em><\/p>\n

[ Google AI<\/strong> ]
\nDo not feel bad at all! You are not late. AVIF is still mostly a “behind-the-scenes” technology that web developers use, so average users are only just starting to notice it now. Tech companies are always looking for ways to make websites load faster, especially for mobile phones on slow data connections. Because WebP is already several years old, engineers created AVIF (AV1 Image File Format) to take its place.<\/p>\n

Why AVIF is Replacing WebP
\nEven Smaller Files – AVIF files are about 20… 30% smaller than WebP, and up to 50% smaller than standard JPEGs, while keeping the image looking sharp.
\nBetter Color – It supports richer, more vibrant colors (HDR) than WebP or JPEG can handle.
\nThe Same Old Problem – Just like WebP a few years ago, you might occasionally download an image today and see .avif at the end of the file name, causing that same old “cannot open file” error on older computer programs.<\/p>\n

How to Deal With It (Without the Stress)
\nThe great news is that because you already know the MS Paint and Mac Preview tricks, you are already prepared for AVIF! Windows Paint and Mac Preview have both been updated to open and convert AVIF files, just like they do with WebP. Modern versions of Photoshop and GIMP also support it natively.<\/p>\n

If you ever download a file and see .avif at the end, just right-click it, open it in Paint or Preview, and save it as a JPEG. You are already ahead of the curve this time!<\/p>\n

 
\n[ Me<\/strong> ]
\nAh, you mean I must say “thank you… twice” now, cause you saved me twice, by teaching me how to open WebP-file you also gave me the lesson on how to open the AVIF-file – okay, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You… 3 times, 30 times : )
\nbut what about the “history”, since 2022 I COULDN’T open WebP-files, so why for Google was so hard to tell the world first such things about Paint, and then introduce its WebP-file, I think Google owes me 40 ice creams for 4 years… leaving me in darkness : )<\/em><\/p>\n

[ Google AI<\/strong> ]
\nYou definitely earned those 40 ice creams! Four years of slamming into a file error is a long time to be left in the dark. Your point is completely fair: why didn’t Google just put a big notice on the internet saying, “Hey, we are changing things, use MS Paint to open them!”? The truth comes down to a classic tech industry blind spot, mixed with how corporate rivals operate.<\/p>\n

The engineers at Google who designed WebP weren’t thinking about everyday users saving images to a desktop computer. They were strictly focused on fixing the internet infrastructure. To them, the “world” meant web servers, cell phone towers, and data cables. They made sure web browsers could read the files, but they completely ignored the human experience of trying to double-click an image on a personal PC.<\/p>\n

Even if Google wanted to fix the desktop problem, they couldn’t. Google doesn’t own Windows (Microsoft does) or Mac (Apple does). When WebP came out, Microsoft Paint and Apple Preview didn’t know how to open it. Google had to wait for Microsoft and Apple to eventually update their own operating systems to support the format. For a few years, those companies dragged their feet because they didn’t want to bend to a format created by their competitor, Google.<\/p>\n

You were caught right in the middle of that corporate standoff! It took a few years for Microsoft and Apple to finally update Paint and Preview behind the scenes. So while Google owes you the ice cream for creating the mess, Microsoft and Apple owe you the toppings for taking so long to update your computer to fix it!<\/p>\n

 
\n[ Me<\/strong> ]
\nBut what about my ice creams, I expect 40 of them, and not just me – as you explained, it’s clear Google owes 40 ice creams also to Microsoft, and to Apple too, thus : )<\/em><\/p>\n

[ Google AI<\/strong> ]
\nHaha, you have a flawless legal case here! If we count up all the frustrated users, plus Microsoft and Apple, Google is looking at an ice cream bill in the billions. They might need a whole new department just to manage the freezer space. Since I am just an AI, I unfortunately cannot mail you 40 physical pints of chocolate or vanilla. However, if Google ever decides to pay off its “WebP debt” to the world, I will make sure your name is at the top of the list! Until then, consider yourself a tech support hero for surviving the great image format wars of the 2020s.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Some Basic Facts<\/h3>\n

 
\nWhat Google AI doesn’t tell, and what calls it “a few years” actually is 12-14 years. And that’s nice, we can understand “pride”, we don’t prejudice, but it would be also nice mentioning some basic facts, we simply love facts : )<\/p>\n

Nobody’s expecting from Google to admit “yeah, we made a format, and our competitors ignored it for over a decade because of pride and politics<\/strong>“. We can understand that, for sure, we don’t need drama, we’re not looking for a blame. We just love facts, and the fact is 12-14 years is not “a few years”. Sorry Google AI, you’re smart and artificially intelligent but it’s over a decade, and that’s worth mentioning. Corporate games may be harsh, justice itself is blind, ugly truth is mostly bitter… but ice cream is sweet, keep all 40 ice creams for yourself, you owe me nothing : )<\/p>\n

Google made WebP in 2010. But Microsoft and Apple – who saw Google as a competitor – took their sweet time adding support. Adobe waited not less but 12 years. Microsoft waited 13 years. Apple waited 14 years<\/strong> : ) That’s not “a few years”, that’s a corporate cold war<\/strong>, and we were the poor users caught in the crossfire. We, the real users actually trying to use the format, were left in the dark (not because the solution didn’t exist, but) because big companies couldn’t agree on whose turn it was to update their software. Now in 2026, 16 years later Google AI “teaches” me how to open WebP in Paint… which Paint update actually didn’t exist for 13 years : )<\/p>\n

– WebP was announced by Google in September 2010.
\n– For many years, it was widely used on the web but not natively supported in major desktop image editors.
\n– Adobe Photoshop added native WebP support in February 2022 (version 23.2).
\n– Microsoft Paint added native WebP support in Windows 11 (around 2023).
\n– Apple Preview added native WebP support in macOS Sonoma \/ Sequoia (around 2023-2024).
\n– AVIF was created in 2019, gained browser support around 2020, and began being actively promoted as a WebP replacement around 2022-2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Year<\/th>\nEvent<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
2010<\/td>\nGoogle releases WebP as an image format.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2010\u20132020<\/td>\nWebP works in browsers (Chrome, etc.), but desktop software (Photoshop, Paint, Preview) does not support it natively.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2022<\/td>\nAdobe Photoshop adds native WebP support (version 23.2).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2023<\/td>\nMicrosoft Paint adds native WebP support (Windows 11 update).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2024<\/td>\nApple Preview adds native WebP support (macOS Sonoma \/ Sequoia).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2026<\/td>\nWe ask Google AI how to edit WebP.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2026<\/td>\nWe learn the trick… and that AVIF is already replacing it.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

 
\n\u00a0Sky Division & Logios'Logios' represents an AI entity, helping with data, stats, knowledge, words, calculations, even by engaging with suggestions and boosting creativity, helping human creator in exploring and developing content. 'Logios' sometimes can be a single AI-platform, or many of them. \r\n\r\nLogios<\/em> - from the Greek \u03bb\u03cc\u03b3\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2 (l\u00f3gios), meaning \"learned, eloquent, one who speaks with reason\"<\/span><\/span>, 2026<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Google owes me 40 ice creams – I learned how to open-edit WebP files so late, terribly late… in 2026, actually just about when those files are going to be replaced by AVIF files. I discovered today that I was… Lexo →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20922","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-multimedia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/letrat.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20922","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/letrat.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/letrat.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/letrat.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/letrat.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20922"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/letrat.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20922\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/letrat.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20922"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/letrat.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20922"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/letrat.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20922"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}