Can't Open a WebP File? Why It Happens and the Fastest Fix

You downloaded or saved an image, it ends in .webp, and now some program on your computer won’t open it. You double-click and nothing happens, or you get an error like “file format not supported,” “could not complete your request,” or a generic broken-preview icon.

This is one of the most common WebP complaints, and the cause is almost always the same: the program you’re trying to use does not have a built-in WebP decoder. The file itself is almost certainly fine.

The fastest fix: open it in your browser

Every modern browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari) can open and decode WebP natively. So if a desktop app is refusing the file, the quickest way to actually see and use the image is to let the browser handle it.

The free WebP to PNG converter takes this one step further: drop the .webp file on the page and the browser decodes it locally and lets you download a standard PNG — no install, no upload, no account. Within a few seconds you have a file that opens everywhere.

Why “can’t open WebP” happens in the first place

WebP is newer than JPG and PNG, so support was added to software over time. You hit the “can’t open” wall when a program was released — or last updated — before WebP support landed.

• Older image editors. Many versions of Photoshop, Paint, Paint.NET, and similar tools shipped without WebP codecs. Opening a WebP throws an “unsupported format” or “could not complete your request” error.
• Older operating systems. Windows 7 and early Windows 10 builds don’t preview or open WebP in the default Photos app out of the box.
• Office and document apps. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Google Workspace can be inconsistent with WebP inserts, depending on version.
• Email and messaging clients. Some older mail clients show a broken-image icon instead of rendering WebP.

If you want the background on why you keep getting WebP files in the first place, see why images are saving as WebP.

Common “can’t open WebP” scenarios

Can’t open WebP in Photoshop

Photoshop added native WebP support relatively late, and many installed versions still lack it without a plugin. Rather than hunting for a codec, convert the file first: open it in the browser converter, export a PNG, then open that PNG in Photoshop. PNG is supported by every Photoshop version.

Can’t open WebP on Windows 7 / older Windows 10

Windows 7 has no native WebP support at all, and some Windows 10 builds don’t show WebP thumbnails. The browser-based converter sidesteps the OS entirely because decoding happens in the browser, not in Windows.

Can’t open WebP on Mac / in Preview

Older macOS Preview versions don’t render WebP. Safari and any Chromium-based browser on the same Mac will open it fine, so use the converter to turn it into a PNG that Preview accepts.

Can’t open WebP on a phone

On older iOS or Android versions, the default photo viewer may reject WebP. Opening the converter page in the mobile browser lets you convert and save a PNG directly on the phone.

How to convert and open it, step by step

1. Open the WebP to PNG converter in any current browser.
2. Drag the .webp file onto the page, or click to select it.
3. The browser decodes it locally and shows the result.
4. Download the PNG and open it in whatever app was refusing the WebP.

Because nothing is uploaded, this works even on a locked-down machine where you can’t install software.

Do you need a permanent fix?

If you only run into WebP occasionally, converting in the browser each time is the lowest-friction option — no codecs to install and maintain. If you work with WebP constantly, you may want a native viewer or extension. For the trade-offs, see how to open a WebP file and the WebP to PNG software overview.

Open your WebP file now

Stop fighting with an app that doesn’t support WebP. Drop the file on the free WebP to PNG converter and get a PNG that opens everywhere in seconds.