WebP Image Won't Open? How to Convert WebP to JPG or PNG
By the UtilityNest team · · 4 min read
You are making a birthday card in an old copy of Word and found the perfect picture of a cartoon cake online. Right-click, Save image as... and the file is called cake.webp. Word inserts a red X. The photo printing site says "unsupported format". Even the image viewer on the family PC opens it as a blank square.
WebP is a modern image format that websites love because it is small and fast. The catch is that plenty of everyday software, upload forms and print services still do not accept it. The fix is to convert it to a format everything understands.
The short version: drop the file into WebP to JPG for photos, or WebP to PNG if the image has a transparent background. Download, and it opens anywhere.
Why you keep getting WebP files
WebP files are usually 25 to 35% smaller than JPGs of similar quality, so most big websites now serve them to save bandwidth. When you save an image, you get exactly what the site sent: a .webp. Browsers show it perfectly, which is why it looks fine until you try to use it somewhere else.
Places that commonly refuse WebP: older Microsoft Office versions, some photo editors, printing kiosks and photo-printing sites, many job and government upload forms, and some email clients.
JPG or PNG?
| Convert to | Choose it when | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| JPG | It is a photo, or you need a small file for a form or email | No transparency: transparent areas get a fill color you choose |
| PNG | It is a logo, sticker, icon or has a transparent background | Keeps transparency exactly; files are larger |
Converting to JPG
- Open WebP to JPG and drop in one file or up to 100.
- Leave quality at 92, which keeps nearly all detail.
- If any image has transparency, pick the fill: white (the default), black or a custom color. The results list tells you which files had transparent areas filled.
- Click Convert to JPG and download each file, or all of them as a ZIP.
Converting to PNG
- Open WebP to PNG and drop in your files.
- Click Convert to PNG. The results list shows each image's size and dimensions.
- Download one PNG or Download all (ZIP).
Pixels are copied as decoded, so the PNG looks identical to the WebP, and transparent areas stay transparent.
Both converters run in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
A worked example: the birthday card and the print order
- The cartoon cake (a 640 x 640 WebP sticker with a transparent background, 38 KB) goes through WebP to PNG. The PNG is around 150 KB, which is normal because PNG is lossless, and the cake sits on the pink card with no white box behind it.
- Six holiday photos saved from a cloud gallery as WebP, about 300 KB each, go through WebP to JPG at quality 92. Each JPG comes out a bit larger than its WebP, and the printing site accepts all six.
cake.webp: red X in Word, "unsupported format" on the print site.
cake.png with transparency kept, plus JPG photos that open and print everywhere.
If you only need to look at a WebP, you do not need to convert it at all: drag it into any browser window. Convert only when another app or website has to accept it.
A whole folder of WebP files
Downloaded a gallery's worth? The Batch Image Converter takes up to 200 images at once and turns them all into JPG, PNG or WebP in one go, with a single ZIP at the end.
Things to know
- Animated WebP files become a still image of the first frame.
- JPG is lossy. At quality 90 or above the difference is very hard to see. If you plan to keep editing the image, PNG avoids further losses.
- The PNG will be bigger than the WebP. That is expected and the image looks the same.
- Images from the web belong to someone. Converting a file does not change who owns it, so for anything public or commercial, use images you have the right to use.
Sending converted images to a form or email
Converted JPGs are usually the right type for upload forms, but they may still be too big. If a job portal or visa form has a limit such as 100 KB, run the JPG through the Advanced Image Compressor and use its Target file size mode. For email, Compress Image on Balanced typically halves the size or better with no visible change. Converted files also leave out the original metadata, so there is no hidden camera or location data riding along.
Other ways to convert
Windows
Open the WebP in Paint (recent Windows versions can open it) and choose File > Save as, then JPEG or PNG. Fine for one file, slow for many.
Mac
Open it in Preview, choose File > Export and pick JPEG or PNG.
Avoid the WebP in the first place
Some websites offer a proper "Download" button that gives you the original JPG or PNG. It is worth a look before right-clicking.
Quick answers
Will I lose quality?
A little going to JPG, invisible at 90 or above. None going to PNG.
Can I convert on my phone?
Yes. The converters work in Safari and Chrome on iPhone and Android.
Can I go the other way, JPG to WebP?
Yes, with Convert to WebP, which is great for images on your own website.