File extensions · Image files · Published October 28, 2026

How to open AVIF images on Windows 11

AVIF is an image format based on the AV1 video codec, published by the Alliance for Open Media, whose founding members include Google, Microsoft, Mozilla and Netflix. The picture is compressed like a single AV1 video frame and stored in a HEIF container, the same container iPhones use for HEIC photos. Microsoft's developer documentation describes it exactly that way: a HEIF file compressed with AV1 instead of HEVC.

Most people meet AVIF by accident. Websites serve it because browsers support it, and when you save an image from a page you sometimes get photo.avif instead of photo.jpg. Then Windows shows a blank icon, an upload form rejects the file, or an older editor refuses to open it.

.avif at a glance

Full name: AV1 Image File Format
Developer: Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia)
MIME type: image/avif, registered with IANA
Container: HEIF (ISO base media file format), the same family as iPhone HEIC photos
Compression: AV1 intra frames, lossy or lossless; transparency, HDR and animation are supported
Opens in Windows 11 by default: Only with Microsoft's AV1 Video Extension installed

How to open AVIF files on Windows 11

Windows reads AVIF through Microsoft's HEIF image codec, which needs an AV1 decoder. Microsoft's documentation notes that the AV1 codec might not be available on all PCs and is downloaded from the Microsoft Store. To get AVIF working in Photos, Paint and File Explorer thumbnails:

Open the Microsoft Store, search for AV1 Video Extension and install it. It is free and published by Microsoft.
Check that HEIF Image Extensions is also installed. Search for it in the Store; if it shows Get instead of Open, install it too.
Close Photos and any File Explorer windows, then open them again. AVIF files now show thumbnails and open in Photos.
If double-click still opens the wrong app, right-click the file, choose Open with, then Choose another app, select Photos and tick Always use this app to open .avif files.

Without installing anything, you can drag an AVIF file into Chrome, Edge or Firefox: all current versions display AVIF. For a full viewer, XnView MP reads AVIF with its own decoder, and ImageGlass opens still AVIF images out of the box. ImageGlass documents that animated AVIF needs a separate codec plugin.

How a real .avif file starts
Byte offset	Bytes	What it means
4	`66 74 79 70 ("ftyp")`	File type box. Every HEIF, AVIF and MP4 file has it at offset 4.
8	`61 76 69 66 ("avif")`	Major brand for a still AVIF image.
8	`61 76 69 73 ("avis")`	Major brand for an AVIF image sequence (animation).

How to check if a file is really AVIF

AVIF, HEIC and MP4 all start with a box called ftyp at offset 4. The four bytes right after it are the brand: avif for a still image, avis for an animation, and heic or mif1 for iPhone photos. Open the file in HxD and look at the first line, or drop it into the file type checker, which reads the brand in your browser.

The check is worth doing because renamed files are common. Some websites serve AVIF to browsers under a .jpg or .webp name, and some converters write a JPEG with an .avif extension. If a file named .avif opens fine in an old program, it is probably not AVIF at all.

How to convert AVIF to JPG or PNG

For a few images, use the AVIF to JPG or AVIF to PNG converter on this site. It decodes the image with your browser's own AVIF support, so nothing is uploaded, and it works without the Microsoft Store extensions. Pick PNG if the image has transparency, because JPG fills transparent areas with a solid color.

With the AV1 extension installed, Paint also works: open the AVIF, choose File, then Save as, then JPEG picture. For a whole folder, XnConvert reads AVIF and exports JPG, PNG or WebP in one batch.

Converting to JPG recompresses the picture. The JPG is usually noticeably larger than the AVIF at the same visual quality, and HDR images lose their extra brightness range because JPG is an 8-bit format.

Limitations of AVIF

AVIF is well supported in browsers but not yet everywhere else. Office apps, many image editors, messaging apps and photo printing services still expect JPG or PNG, so keep AVIF for websites and convert copies for sharing.

Encoding AVIF is slow compared with JPEG or WebP, and many viewers handle only still AVIF images. Animated AVIF is an image sequence that some programs show as a single frame or not at all.

Free programs that open .avif files

XnView MP Image Viewer and Organizer

Image browser that reads AVIF, HEIC, JPEG XL and RAW without Microsoft's extensions, with a built-in batch converter.
XnSoft · Freeware · xnview.com

Download Review
ImageGlass Image Viewer

Fast open-source viewer that opens and saves still AVIF images out of the box.
Duong Dieu Phap · Open source · imageglass.org

Download Review
XnConvert Batch Image Converter

Batch converter that turns a folder of AVIF files into JPG, PNG or WebP in one pass.
XnSoft · Freeware · xnview.com

Download Review
GIMP Image Editor

Free photo editor for editing AVIF images and exporting them to other formats.
The GIMP Team · Open source · gimp.org

Download Review

Free browser tools for .avif files

These tools run in your browser. Files are processed on your own computer and are not uploaded.

AVIF to JPGOpens anywhere, adjustable quality AVIF to PNGKeeps transparency, lossless output File Type CheckerReal format from the file's bytes Image ResizerFit, percent or exact pixels, in batches

Frequently asked questions

Why can't Windows 11 open AVIF files?

The AV1 decoder that Windows needs for AVIF is not on every PC. Install the free AV1 Video Extension from the Microsoft Store, make sure HEIF Image Extensions is installed too, and restart Photos.

Is AVIF better than JPG?

For the web, often yes: AVIF usually gives a smaller file than JPEG at similar visual quality, and it supports transparency and HDR. For sharing and printing, JPG is still the safer choice because almost every program and device opens it.

What is the difference between AVIF and HEIC?

Both use the HEIF container. HEIC compresses the image with HEVC, which on Windows needs a paid Microsoft Store extension; AVIF uses the royalty-free AV1 codec, and its Windows extension is free.

Is the AVIF to JPG converter on this site safe?

The conversion runs in your browser. The file is decoded and re-encoded on your own computer and is not uploaded to our server.

Sources

ExeDepot does not host installers. Download buttons open each developer's own server or official download page; the links were checked on October 19, 2026.