How to open AVIF files on Windows

Why AVIF is better than other formats

The AVIF format is the newest and most technically advanced photo format. AVIF files take up less space than JPG and even HEIC while maintaining the same quality.

AVIF will be the format that will replace HEIC (after HEIC replaces JPG).

AVIF supports both high dynamic range (HDR) and standard dynamic range (SDR) content, including the widely used sRGB and BT.2020 color spaces. It supports 8-, 10-, and 12-bit color depths, film grain, transparency (like PNG images), and animation (like GIF).

The new image format features higher image quality than JPEG, and a smaller file size, fewer compression artifacts, and less image blocking.

How to open AVIF photos

Many other programs already support AVIF, including image viewers like XnView, VLC media player, Paint.NET, GIMP, and Adobe Illustrator, as well as operating systems including Windows 10 and above, Android 12 and above, and many Linux distributions.

All modern web browsers support AVIF, as do websites.

AVIF file examples

The following photos are AVIF files – you can see them in your web browser, or you can save them to check which programs on your computer or phone can handle the AVIF format.

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How to open AVIF photos on Windows

If you see a window with the following message when you try to open an AVIF file on your Windows computer:

The AV1 Video Extension is required to display this file. Download and install it now.

This means that to open AVIF files you need to install a program from the Microsoft Store.

Note: you may have noticed the words “AV1” and “video extension”, what does this have to do with it if you want to open a photo in the AVIF format? The thing is that AV1 is a video compression algorithm. And AVIF images use these AV1 algorithms to compress photos. Therefore, the “AV1 Video Extension” is used to open AVIF files, and can also be used to view videos in the AOMedia Video 1 (AV1) format – when they appear.

So, everything is quite simple – click on the link “Download and install it now”, or open the Microsoft Store and find “AV1 Video Extension” there. This add-on is free, it was developed by Microsoft and you install it from the official app store – that is, it is safe.

Right after installing the AV1 Video Extension, you can open a photo in the AVIF format with standard Windows programs: