How To Stop Saving Images As WebP In Chrome

Google Chrome, often simply referred to as Chrome, is a highly popular and widely used web browser developed by Google Inc and was first introduced in 2008. It has since become one of the dominant players in the web browser market. 

WebP is an open-source image format developed by Google with the aim of providing superior compression while still preserving image quality, but it’s not always compatible with all applications and platforms.

As per the documentation provided by Google Developers, WebP images exhibit a remarkable advantage in terms of file size, being more than 25% smaller compared to other commonly used image formats.

Consequently, they facilitate swifter loading times for web content. This performance benefit has led to a widespread preference among web developers for utilizing WebP images on their websites. By doing so, they can optimize loading speeds, thereby enhancing the user experience

When you’re downloading images using Google Chrome, you might encounter the WebP format. From a technical standpoint, it’s important to clarify that Chrome doesn’t perform image conversion to WebP format when you download images from websites. Instead, websites themselves serve these images in the WebP format. Consequently, there isn’t a direct method within Chrome to prevent the browser from saving images in the WebP format.

However, in cases where your computer lacks native support for WebP or you prefer other image formats like JPEG or PNG, you may want to explore various methods to prevent Chrome from saving images in the WebP format. 

There are a few ways to prevent Chrome from saving images in the WebP format:

Also Read: Best Apps To Remove Background Noise And Boost The Audio Quality

1. Using an Extension- “Save Image as Type”

You can use the browser extension “Save Image As Type” which allows you to right-click on a WebP image and choose the desired format for saving. This extension automatically converts the WebP image to the format you prefer during the download process.

Just visit the Chrome Web Store and Search “Save Image As Type” or download “Save Image as Type” extension from HERE

After that, Whenever you try to download an image, right-click and you will see the extension in the context menu.

2. Using an Extension- ”Save Image As PNG”

You can use the browser extension “Save Image As PNG” which allows you to right-click on a WebP image and use PNG format for saving. “Save Image As PNG” is a nifty browser extension designed to make your life easier when dealing with WebP images. This extension automatically converts the WebP image to PNG format during the download process. It is very convenient.

Just visit the Chrome Web Store and Search “Save Image As Type” or download the extension from HERE

After that, Whenever you try to download an image, right-click and you will see the extension in the context menu.

Step 3: Using Microsoft Paint (only on Windows)

There is a workaround to the issue but it only works on Windows. It needs Microsoft Paint. 

1. Open the image you want to save. Click on the open image in new tab.

2. Right-click and click on ‘Copy image’

3. Then open Microsoft Paint and paste it and then click on the crop button before deselecting it

4. Click on ‘File’ and ‘Save As’ to save it.

Also Read: How To Fix Canva Not Downloading Designs?

4. Take Screenshot

Another workaround is to take a screenshot containing the image you want to download and save it:

1. Take a screenshot using Print Screen Key or a Screenshot tool like Snipping Tool or a native app like Lightshot.

2. Save it in the desired location.

3. Then open it using any Image editor and crop the Screenshot to the image you want

No matter your choice, these methods empower you to take control of the image formats you encounter while browsing the web, ensuring that your saved images are in the format that best suits your purposes. Whether you’re an everyday internet user or a power user, these options provide the flexibility and convenience you need for a seamless image-saving experience in Google Chrome.

5. Use any Online Image Converter

If you have saved images in WebP format on your system then another easy way is to look for an online webp image converter. These can help you convert webp images to Jpeg or png.

1. Visit any online WebP image converter from HERE

2. Select the destination file format from png, jpeg, gif, BNP etc

3. Now upload the WebP image and click on convert.

4. Now you can download the png/jpeg variant of the WebP image.

Also Read: Facing Spotify Something Went Wrong Error? Here’s A Quick Fix!