Why will my software not open WebP?

WebP is newer than a lot of desktop software. Applications released before roughly 2020 frequently have no decoder for it, even though every browser does.

Does converting improve the image?

No. PNG preserves exactly what the WebP contained, including any compression artefacts already present.

Is transparency preserved?

Yes. Both formats support an alpha channel, so transparent areas convert across intact.

Should I convert to PNG or JPG?

PNG if the image has transparency or will be edited. JPG if it is a photograph headed for a website, where the smaller file matters more.

WebP → PNG · runs on your device

When something refuses to open a WebP

Images saved from the web often arrive as WebP, and plenty of desktop software still will not open them. PNG is the safe format to convert to.

WebP is excellent on the web and awkward off it. Save an image from a site and you get a .webp file that browsers display perfectly and that older versions of Photoshop, Windows Photo Viewer, Office and a long tail of desktop tools reject outright. The image is fine; the software simply predates the format.

PNG is the natural target because it is lossless, so converting introduces no further quality loss on top of whatever the WebP already had. If the WebP was saved lossily, those artefacts remain — conversion preserves the image exactly as it stands rather than improving it. The file will get considerably larger, which is the cost of a format that everything opens.

If the destination is a website rather than a desktop program, converting to JPG is usually the better move: it stays small, and unlike PNG it was designed for photographs.

Questions

Why will my software not open WebP?: WebP is newer than a lot of desktop software. Applications released before roughly 2020 frequently have no decoder for it, even though every browser does.
Does converting improve the image?: No. PNG preserves exactly what the WebP contained, including any compression artefacts already present.
Is transparency preserved?: Yes. Both formats support an alpha channel, so transparent areas convert across intact.
Should I convert to PNG or JPG?: PNG if the image has transparency or will be edited. JPG if it is a photograph headed for a website, where the smaller file matters more.