What is AVIF?
AVIF is an image format based on the AV1 video codec, developed by the Alliance for Open Media, a group that includes Google, Apple, Microsoft and others. It compresses photos very efficiently and supports transparency, which is why image heavy websites like it.
Current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari can display AVIF on web pages. Support outside the browser is much patchier. Many photo editors, office apps and older operating systems show an error or an empty icon instead of your picture.
Why convert AVIF to JPG?
- Edit the image in software that does not read AVIF
- Attach it to a document, presentation or email that recipients can open
- Upload it to a form, marketplace or print shop that accepts only JPG or PNG
- Share it with friends whose phones cannot preview AVIF
Expect the JPG to be larger than the AVIF. That is the trade for wide compatibility.
A quick way to spot AVIF: the file name ends in .avif, or your computer shows a generic icon with no preview. Sometimes a site sends AVIF even when the saved file name ends in .jpg. If such an image will not open, try Convert to JPG, which accepts many image formats in one place.
For pages full of product photos, you can convert the whole set in one batch instead of one image at a time.
Transparent images and other formats
JPG cannot store transparency, so any transparent area in the AVIF becomes white. For logos or cutouts that need a clear background, use AVIF to PNG instead.
Running a website yourself? Keep AVIF on your pages where browsers support it, and use JPG copies only where you need compatibility. If your JPG ends up too large for an upload limit, Compress JPG can bring it down without changing the format.
