How to save AVIF as JPG or PNG

You saved an image from Chrome and got an .avif file that your app won't open. Here's what AVIF is, why you got it, and how to turn it into a JPG or PNG.

What AVIF is

AVIF is a newer image format based on the AV1 video codec. Its big advantage is size: an AVIF is usually much smaller than a JPG of the same quality, and often smaller than WebP too. Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari all display it.

Why Chrome saved an AVIF

When Chrome asks a site for an image, it says which formats it can show, and current versions list AVIF first. Many sites and image services use that to send the smallest file. Save image as… then saves exactly what arrived, without converting it. There's no Chrome setting to change this. The same thing happens with WebP: why Chrome saves images as WebP.

Why apps won't open it

Browsers adopted AVIF quickly, but plenty of other software hasn't: older photo apps and editors, some office tools, upload forms, and print services. On Windows, Photos and Paint need Microsoft's free AV1 Video Extension (from the Microsoft Store) before they can open AVIF. Recent versions of macOS open AVIF in Preview; older ones don't.

With an extension, in one step

An extension can convert the image as you save it, so you never deal with the AVIF file at all.

Our extension

Imgkeep

Right-click the image, choose Imgkeep: Save image as, then JPG or PNG. Imgkeep reads the AVIF, converts it on your computer, and saves a normal .jpg or .png to Downloads, or to a folder you pick. Transparent areas become white in a JPG, or a colour you choose. Nothing is uploaded. Free and open source.

Add Imgkeep to Chrome — free Four permissions, no access to your pages.

Without an extension

Windows: Paint

If Paint won't open AVIF files, install the free AV1 Video Extension from the Microsoft Store.
Right-click the saved .avif file and choose Open with › Paint.
File › Save as, then JPEG picture or PNG picture.

Mac: Preview

Open the .avif file in Preview.
File › Export, and set Format to JPEG or PNG.

If Preview won't open it, your macOS version may be too old for AVIF. Use one of the other options.

Any computer: copy and paste

Right-click the image in Chrome, choose Copy image, paste it into an image editor, and save as JPG or PNG. This works even when the editor can't open AVIF files, because Chrome has already decoded the picture. Transparency may be lost.

A screenshot

Win+Shift+S on Windows, Cmd+Shift+4 on a Mac. Quick, but you get the image at screen size, not the original.

Online converters

They work, but your image goes to someone else's server. Fine for public pictures; think twice for private ones.

Questions

Should I keep AVIF files as they are?

If every app you use opens them, yes: they're small and look good. Convert when something refuses them, or when you're sending the image to someone else.

Does converting AVIF lose quality?

Saving as PNG keeps the pixels exactly as they are, but the file gets much bigger. JPG compresses again, with a small loss that's usually invisible at high quality settings. For WebP files, see how to save WebP as JPG or PNG.