Over the last year, Google has shifted the Chrome browser such that anytime you save an image file, it wants to default to the WebP format.
This was done because the WebP format makes the image files roughly 25% smaller. That reduction isn’t the actual image size, but the size of the file that is saved.
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That’s great for websites that need to save on server space but not so great for users who want to reuse an image for, say, computer wallpaper or to share with friends and family.
That WebP format isn’t exactly a standard that can be viewed by just any application.
So, what do you do? Are you going to have to install an image editor to cover the file from WebP to a useable format?
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Fortunately, no. There’s a Chrome extension you can add that will allow you to convert the image into either JPG or PNG format. Let me show you how to install and use this extension.
How to circumvent Chrome’s new save-as-WebP image format issue
Requirements
The only thing you’ll need is an updated version of the Chrome browser. I’ll demonstrate with version 109.0.5414.119, running on Pop!_OS Linux, but the operating system you use doesn’t matter.
With your browser ready, let’s take care of this problem.
The first thing to do is open the Chrome web browser.
The extension in question is called Save image as Type. Point your browser to the extension’s page in the Chrome Web Store and click Add to Chrome. When prompted, click Add Extension, and the installation is complete.
Installing the Save image As Type Chrome extension. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Once the extension is installed, you’ll want to pin the extension to the Chrome toolbar for easier access. To do that, click the puzzle piece icon and, from the drop-down, click the pin icon associated with Save image as Type.
This will pin the icon, which looks like a small image, to the toolbar. You don’t have to pin the extension to the toolbar if you don’t want to because that’s not how you interact with it. But this is always the easiest way to remove an extension from Chrome.
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If you decide to remove the extension, all you have to do is right-click the icon and select Remove From Chrome.
Pinning the extension to the Chrome toolbar. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Using the Save image as Type extension
Before you can use the extension, you’ll need to close and re-open Chrome. Once you do that, open a webpage that includes an image you want to save.
Right-click the image and select Save image as Type > Save as X (where X is either JPG, PNG, or WebP).
Saving an image in JPG format in Chrome is once again possible. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Your image will be saved in the file format of your choice, and you’re good to go.
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That’s all there is to get around a problem that has been frustrating users since Google opted to change the default behavior in its web browser. Even though WebP is a valid image file format, it’s simply not as accepted as JPG or PNG. This simple extension avoids that issue.
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