Every now and again, we get asked by users what exactly WebP extension is and where it used? People often want to know how good it is compared to other image formats. In this guide, we will see what WebP is and how to open WebP images in Windows 10.
What is WebP?
WebP is a modern image format developed by the internet search giant Google. The file size of an image saved in WebP can be up to 30% less than the same image saved in JPEG or PNG. In short, a WebP image can take up to 30% lesser disk space than a traditional JPEG or PNG format.
Since WebP images have smaller file sizes, more and more websites are using it. Unfortunately, not all web browsers out there support the WebP format yet. For instance, Apple’s Safari browser does not support WebP yet.
If you are on Windows 10 or using a previous version, you have a few options to open WebP images. The following are the four ways to open WebP images in Windows 10.
Does Windows 10 Photos app support WebP images?
WebP image format has been around for close to a decade now. Despite this, Windows 10’s native Photos app does not support WebP photos yet. It’s really weird that Photos app does not support a well-known image extension even in 2020. That said, you can use the workaround mentioned below (Method 3) to open WebP images with Photos or any other app that does not support WebP.
Method 1 of 4
View WebP pictures natively In Windows 10 with Windows Photo Viewer
The classic Windows Photo Viewer in Windows 10 supports WebP. This means that you can open WebP photos with Windows Photo Viewer without installing any codec or plugin. Right-click on the WebP picture file, click Open with, and then select Windows Photo Viewer to open the WebP image with Windows Photo Viewer.
However, the catch is that Windows Photo Viewer has been turned off by default. You need to enable it. Refer to our how to enable Windows Photo Viewer in Windows 10 guide for step-by-step directions.
NOTE: On two of my computers, I noticed that the WebP images look dark (than what they are) for some reason when opened with Windows Photo Viewer.
Method 2 of 4
Use ImageGlass or 123 Photo Viewer to open WebP in Windows 10
If you do not want to enable and use the Windows Photo Viewer to open WebP photos, you can use the 123 Photo Viewer available in the Store or the open-source ImageGlass.
ImageGlass is probably the best free image viewer out there for Windows 10. It supports over 70 image formats, including WebP (supports only non-animated WebP format). The UI is pretty clean.
123 Photo Viewer, as the name implies, is an image viewer for Windows 10. In addition to other popular image formats, it supports the WebP format as well. The UI is not great but functional. You can get it from the Windows 10 Store.
IrfanView is another popular image viewer with support for WebP.
Method 3 of 4
Rename WebP to JPG or PNG and then open with the Photos app
There is no straight-forward way to open WebP images with Photos app in Windows 10. However, there is a workaround out there to open WebP images with the Photos app.
By renaming WebP picture files to JPG or PNG, you will be able to open them with the Photos app. Here is how to rename WebP to JPG or PNG:
Step 1: Browse to the folder containing the WebP image. Click on the View tab and then select File extensions to view file extensions for all files.
Step 2: Right-click on the image file with WebP extension and then click the Rename option. Or select the file and then hit the F2 key.
Step 3: Now, change the WebP or webp extension (which shows up at the end of the file name) to JPG, JPEG or PNG. Press the Enter key to save it.
Step 4: Finally, right-click on the JPG or PNG file (that you just converted from WebP), click Open with and then click Photos app to open it with the Photos app.
In addition to the Photos app, you can use any other image viewer to view the converted pictures.
Method 4 of 4
Open WebP images with Chrome, Edge or Paint in Windows 10
You can use the Chrome, Edge (Chromium-based Edge), or even the built-in Paint program in Windows 10 to open WebP pictures.
Conclusion
If you do not mind installing a free program, we recommend the ImageGlass program. In fact, if you often deal with WebP images, you can set ImageGlass as the default image viewer in Windows 10.
How to view iPhone live photos on Windows 10 guide might also interest you.
Uncle Jack says
This is just stupidity and laziness on the part of Microsuck.
Photos WILL show .webp if you click some other picture in the folder (.jpg, .png, .bmp) to open the app and tap left/right to get to the .webp. So we KNOW the app can handle the file type.
Elto D says
“click Open with, and then select Windows Photo Viewer”
— Windows Photo Viewer is not on the list
Jack Mehoff says
It is really disgusting Microshit hasn’t sorted this out by now, where do all their trillions of dollars go?
Bobby says
Don’t use Microsoft’s faulty WebP codec, you’ll notice it displays WebP images too dark in Windows Photo Viewer. Instead uninstall Webp Image Extension from App & features and then install Google’s official WebP codec.
storage.googleapis.com/downloads.webmproject.org/releases/webp/WebpCodecSetup.exe