How to Open AVIF Files — Viewers and Converters for Every Platform
You save an image from a website, and the file is named something.avif instead of .jpg or .png. You try to open it and your default photo viewer shows an error or a blank frame. AVIF (AV1 Image File Format) is a relatively new image format that compresses 40–50% better than JPEG, but not every application supports it yet. Here is how to open AVIF files on every platform, and how to convert them to JPG or PNG when you need universal compatibility.
What Is AVIF and Why Are Websites Using It?
AVIF is based on the AV1 video codec, developed by the Alliance for Open Media (Google, Apple, Netflix, Meta, and others). It was designed as a next-generation image format that replaces JPEG with dramatically smaller file sizes at the same visual quality. A typical AVIF file is 40–50% smaller than the equivalent JPEG.
Websites have started serving AVIF images because smaller files mean faster page loads, lower bandwidth costs, and better Core Web Vitals scores. When you save an image from a modern website, you increasingly get an .avif file instead of .jpg — Netflix, Wikipedia, and many news sites serve AVIF by default to browsers that support it.
Which Apps and Devices Already Support AVIF?
Support for AVIF has expanded rapidly since 2023:
Web browsers: Chrome (since v85, 2020), Firefox (since v93, 2021), Edge (since v90), Safari (since v16.4, 2023), Opera. Every major browser now displays AVIF images natively — if you can see the image on a website, your browser supports AVIF.
Mobile: Android supports AVIF since Android 12 (2021). iOS supports AVIF since iOS 16 (2022). Samsung, Pixel, and most modern Android phones open AVIF files in their built-in gallery app.
Desktop: macOS supports AVIF in Preview and Finder since macOS Ventura (2022). Windows 11 added AVIF support in the Photos app with the AV1 Video Extension from the Microsoft Store. Windows 10 requires the same extension.
Quick Check
If you can see AVIF images on websites in your browser, your device supports AVIF at the browser level. The issue is usually desktop photo viewers (Windows Photos, older macOS versions) that have not been updated to handle AVIF.
Open AVIF on Windows 10 and 11
Install the AV1 Video Extension: Search for "AV1 Video Extension" in the Microsoft Store and install it (free). After installation, Windows Photos and File Explorer will display AVIF thumbnails and open AVIF files natively. This is the same approach as the HEVC extension for HEIC files.
Use IrfanView: IrfanView with the plugin pack supports AVIF. It is lightweight, fast, and can batch-convert AVIF files to JPG or PNG.
Use XnView or XnConvert: Both support AVIF viewing and batch conversion. XnConvert is specifically designed for batch operations — add 500 AVIF files and convert them all to JPG in one click.
Open AVIF on Mac
macOS Ventura (13.0, 2022) and later support AVIF natively in Preview, Finder, Quick Look, and most built-in apps. Double-click an .avif file and Preview opens it. If you are on an older macOS version (Monterey or earlier), you need a third-party viewer.
Recommended for older macOS: Use a web browser — drag the AVIF file onto a Chrome or Firefox window to view it. Or install the free app "AVIF Viewer" from the Mac App Store.
Open AVIF on iPhone and Android
iPhone (iOS 16+): AVIF files open natively in Photos, Files, and most apps. If someone sends you an AVIF file via AirDrop, iMessage, or email, it opens without any conversion needed.
Android 12+: AVIF is supported natively in the system image handler. Google Photos, Samsung Gallery, and most gallery apps display AVIF files. If your phone runs Android 11 or older, open the AVIF file in Chrome — the browser renders it even if the system gallery does not.
Convert AVIF to JPG or PNG
When you need an image in a universally compatible format — uploading to a form that only accepts JPG, sending to someone with an older device, or embedding in a Word document or PowerPoint — convert the AVIF to JPG or PNG.
iFormat's AVIF to JPG converter handles single files and batch conversions. Upload your AVIF files, download them as high-quality JPGs. For transparent images, use the AVIF to PNG converter to preserve transparency. All conversions happen server-side and files are deleted within 30 minutes.
Convert AVIF to JPG or PNG — Free Online
Convert AVIF files to JPG, PNG, WebP, and more. Free, no sign-up, no watermarks.
Convert JPG or PNG to AVIF
Going the other direction — converting your images to AVIF — makes sense for web development and reducing storage. AVIF files are 40–50% smaller than JPEG at the same visual quality. If you run a website or blog, converting your images to AVIF and serving them with a
<picture> element (with a JPEG fallback) gives you faster page loads and lower bandwidth costs.Use iFormat's JPG to AVIF or PNG to AVIF converters to create AVIF versions of your images. For a broader look at how AVIF compares to WebP and JPEG XL, see our AVIF vs WebP vs JPEG XL comparison guide.
AVIF Quality Settings Explained
AVIF quality is controlled by a quantizer parameter that ranges from 0 (lossless) to 63 (maximum compression, worst quality). Most tools expose this as a quality percentage (0–100) that maps inversely to the quantizer. Here is what to expect at different quality levels:
Quality 80–100 (low quantizer): Visually indistinguishable from the original. File size is 20–40% smaller than JPEG at equivalent quality. Use this for photography portfolios, product images, or anywhere visual fidelity matters.
Quality 50–79 (medium quantizer): Slight softening visible on close inspection, but most viewers cannot tell the difference. File size is 50–60% smaller than JPEG. Best balance for web images, blog photos, and social sharing.
Quality 20–49 (high quantizer): Noticeable softening and loss of fine detail. Suitable for thumbnails, preview images, and low-priority backgrounds where bandwidth savings outweigh quality.
Quality 50–79 (medium quantizer): Slight softening visible on close inspection, but most viewers cannot tell the difference. File size is 50–60% smaller than JPEG. Best balance for web images, blog photos, and social sharing.
Quality 20–49 (high quantizer): Noticeable softening and loss of fine detail. Suitable for thumbnails, preview images, and low-priority backgrounds where bandwidth savings outweigh quality.
AVIF for Web Developers
If you are building a website, AVIF is worth adopting now. Browser support is effectively universal as of 2024 (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge), and the bandwidth savings are substantial. A typical image-heavy landing page serving AVIF instead of JPEG saves 40–60% bandwidth, which directly improves Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) and your Core Web Vitals score.
The standard approach is to use the HTML
<picture> element to serve AVIF with a JPEG or WebP fallback:<picture>
<source srcset="image.avif" type="image/avif">
<source srcset="image.webp" type="image/webp">
<img src="image.jpg" alt="Description">
</picture>Image CDNs like Cloudflare Images, Imgix, and Cloudinary can generate AVIF variants automatically — you upload the original, and the CDN serves AVIF to browsers that accept it. If you self-host images, tools like Sharp (Node.js), libvips, or ImageMagick 7.1+ can batch-convert your images to AVIF during your build process.
AVIF vs HEIC — What Is the Difference?
AVIF and HEIC are both next-gen image formats, and they are often confused. The key difference is the underlying codec. HEIC uses the HEVC (H.265) codec, which is patent-encumbered and requires licensing fees. AVIF uses the AV1 codec, which is royalty-free and open source. Compression quality is similar — both beat JPEG by roughly 40–50% — but AVIF's open licensing means it is supported more broadly on the web, while HEIC is mainly an Apple ecosystem format.
If you have HEIC photos from an iPhone and need to convert them, see our guide on how to open HEIC files on Windows, or convert them directly with our HEIC to JPG converter.
Common AVIF Problems
AVIF file looks blurry after saving from a website: The website may be serving a heavily compressed AVIF file optimized for fast loading. The blur is in the source file, not a problem with your viewer. Right-click → "Save Image As" saves whatever quality the website is serving.
AVIF file shows as 0 bytes or is corrupted: The download may have been incomplete. Try right-clicking the image on the webpage again and saving it. Some browser extensions (ad blockers, privacy tools) can interfere with image downloads — try disabling them temporarily.
Photoshop cannot open AVIF: As of 2026, Adobe Photoshop does not natively support AVIF. Convert the AVIF to PNG first (lossless), then open the PNG in Photoshop. GIMP 2.10.32+ can open AVIF files natively.
AVIF file is much larger than expected: If the AVIF is larger than the original JPEG, the AVIF was saved at lossless or near-lossless quality. AVIF's size advantage comes from lossy compression — at quality level 60–80, it beats JPEG significantly. At lossless quality, AVIF can be larger than PNG.