WebP Browser Support: Complete Compatibility Guide 2025

Understanding WebP browser compatibility is crucial for implementing this modern image format on your website. This comprehensive guide covers current browser support, detection methods, and best practices for ensuring your images display correctly across all platforms.

Current WebP Browser Support in 2025

As of 2025, WebP enjoys widespread support across all major modern browsers. The format has achieved near-universal adoption, with over 97% of all web users now using browsers that natively support WebP. This marks a significant shift from just a few years ago when Safari was notably absent from the support list.

Desktop Browser Support

All major desktop browsers now support WebP format:

• Google Chrome: Full support since version 23 (2012)
• Mozilla Firefox: Full support since version 65 (2019)
• Safari: Full support since version 14 (macOS Big Sur, 2020)
• Microsoft Edge: Full support since version 18 (2018)
• Opera: Full support since version 12.1 (2012)
• Brave: Full support (Chromium-based)

Mobile Browser Support

Mobile browsers have embraced WebP enthusiastically:

• Chrome for Android: Full support since version 25
• Safari on iOS: Full support since iOS 14 (2020)
• Samsung Internet: Full support since version 4.0
• Firefox for Android: Full support since version 68
• Opera Mobile: Full support since version 12.1

Browsers That Don't Support WebP

While WebP support is now nearly universal, some older browsers still lack compatibility:

• Internet Explorer 11 and earlier (all versions)
• Safari versions before 14 (pre-2020)
• Firefox versions before 65 (pre-2019)
• Android browser versions before 4.0
• iOS Safari versions before 14 (pre-2020)

How to Detect WebP Support

There are several methods to detect whether a browser supports WebP:

JavaScript Detection: You can use JavaScript to check for WebP support by attempting to load a small WebP image and checking if it loads successfully. This method works reliably across all browsers.

Server-Side Detection: Check the Accept header sent by the browser. Browsers that support WebP will include image/webp in their Accept header for image requests.

Modernizr Library: The popular feature detection library includes a WebP detection module that makes implementation straightforward.

Implementing WebP with Fallbacks

The HTML picture element provides the best method for serving WebP with automatic fallbacks:

Using the picture element, browsers that support WebP will automatically load the WebP version, while older browsers will fall back to JPG or PNG. This approach requires no JavaScript and works reliably across all browsers.

WebP Support in Email Clients

Email client support for WebP is more limited than web browsers:

• Gmail: Supports WebP on web and mobile
• Apple Mail: Supports WebP on iOS 14+ and macOS Big Sur+
• Outlook: No WebP support on desktop or mobile
• Yahoo Mail: Limited WebP support
• Thunderbird: No native WebP support

For email marketing, it's generally recommended to use JPG or PNG formats rather than WebP to ensure maximum compatibility.

Social Media Platform Support

Most major social media platforms now support WebP uploads:

• Facebook: Full WebP support for uploads
• Instagram: Accepts WebP but converts to JPG
• Twitter: Full WebP support
• LinkedIn: Accepts WebP with automatic conversion
• Pinterest: Limited WebP support

When to Use JPG Instead of WebP

Despite widespread WebP support, there are still scenarios where JPG is preferable:

• Email marketing campaigns requiring broad compatibility
• Support for legacy systems and older devices
• Print preparation and professional photography workflows
• Offline applications or documentation
• Maximum universal compatibility is essential

Our WebP to JPG converter makes it easy to convert WebP images to JPG format when broader compatibility is needed.

Best Practices for WebP Implementation

Follow these best practices when implementing WebP on your website:

• Always provide JPG or PNG fallbacks for older browsers
• Use the picture element for automatic format selection
• Test your implementation across multiple browsers and devices
• Monitor analytics to understand your audience's browser usage
• Consider server-side detection for dynamic image serving
• Implement proper caching strategies for both formats

Conclusion

WebP browser support has reached maturity in 2025, with virtually all modern browsers supporting the format. However, implementing proper fallbacks remains important for supporting legacy browsers and ensuring universal compatibility. By using the picture element and following best practices, you can leverage WebP's benefits while maintaining broad compatibility across all platforms.