What Is WebP?

Date First Published: 12th February 2024

Topic: Computer Systems

Subtopic: Computer Software

Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty: Medium

Difficulty Level: 5/10

CONTENTS

Uses Of WebP Files
History

Learn about what WebP is in this article.

WebP is an open-source raster graphic image format developed by Google intended to reduce the size of images on the web. It supports both lossy and lossless compression, meaning that images can be compressed without permanently losing any data or only losing some non-essential information. It also supports animation and alpha transparency.

WebP files can be converted to other file formats using image editors, such as Microsoft Paint and Apple Preview. For example, Microsoft Paint can convert WebP files to JPEG, GIF, and BMP.

Note:

WebP is pronounced "web-py", not "web" or "web-by".

Note:

WebP files have the ".webp" file extension and the "image/webp" MIME media type.

Uses Of Webp Files

Since the WebP format reduces file size more than standard JPEG compression whilst maintaining similar image quality, it is more suitable for the web. Faster loading webpages offer a better user experience and can boost the Google ranking of a page. It also takes up less storage space than other image formats, which can free up space that can be used elsewhere.

However, the WebP format is mostly designed for internet use, making it less useful for offline use. Especially for detailed images, higher compression levels can lead to quality loss. In addition, not all web browsers and image editors support the WebP format because it is still relatively new and has only gained widespread support in the last few years.

History

Google first announced WebP on September 30, 2010, as an open standard for lossy compressed true-color images over the web. It was based on technology which Google had acquired with the purchase of On2 Technologies.

On 3 October 2011, Google added an "Extended File Format", allowing WebP support for animation, ICC profile, XMP and Exif metadata, and tiling (compositing very large images from maximum 16384×16384 tiles).

In July 2016, Apple added WebP support to early beta versions of macOS Sierra and iOS 10, but support was later removed in the GM seed versions of iOS 10 and macOS Sierra released in September 2016. In September 2020, WebP support was added in Safari version 14.