Glossary

What Is an AVIF File?

An AVIF file is a modern image saved in the AV1 Image File Format, which reuses the compression from the AV1 video codec built by the Alliance for Open Media. It squeezes a photo into a much smaller file than JPG, and usually smaller than WebP, while keeping transparency, HDR, and wide color in a single format. The catch is that AVIF is new, so older programs and parts of Windows still cannot open it and you often need to convert it.

TL;DR

AVIF is a small, modern image format from the AV1 codec. Convert it to JPG when a desktop program, phone, or upload form will not open it.

~50%
how much smaller an AVIF image can be than the same photo saved as JPG at matching quality

Why AVIF Exists

AVIF came out of video. The AV1 codec was built to stream 4K without huge bandwidth, and AVIF borrows that same math to compress a still frame. The result is a picture that looks the same as a JPG at roughly half the size, with an alpha channel for transparency and support for HDR and 10-bit color that JPG never had.

AVIF and HEIC are cousins: both wrap a still image in a video-codec container. HEIC uses Apple's HEVC, while AVIF uses the royalty-free AV1, which is why AVIF spread quickly across the open web.

Why AVIF Will Not Always Open

Current browsers show AVIF, so on a web page it just works. Off the web is where it breaks. Windows only added AVIF support recently and often needs the AV1 Video Extension from the Microsoft Store; older photo editors, many email clients, and some phones do not recognize it at all. So an AVIF you saved from a site may simply refuse to open in your usual program.

If an AVIF will not open, the file is almost certainly fine, the app just lacks AV1 support. Convert it to JPG and it opens on any device, editor, or upload form.

How to Convert an AVIF File

For a single image, an in-browser tool turns AVIF into a universal JPG without uploading anything. For a whole folder, a batch converter processes them all in one pass so they open in any editor or viewer.

What you'll need
  • AVIF to JPG Converter: converts an AVIF to JPG right in your browser, with a quality slider and a background fill for transparency
  • AVIF to PNG Converter: convert to PNG instead when you need to keep transparency
  • A Windows PC, version 10 or 11, for batch conversion

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