AVIF delivers smaller, higher-quality images, but none of that matters if a visitor's browser cannot display the file. Browser support is the single most important practical factor in deciding whether and how to use AVIF. The good news is that support has grown dramatically; the catch is that it is still not universal, so you need a fallback strategy.

This guide lays out where AVIF works today across the major browsers, how to serve it safely with fallbacks, and what to do for the environments that still cannot open it. When you need an image that works absolutely everywhere, the AVIF to JPG tool produces a universally compatible file. Let us look at the current state of support.

The Current State of AVIF Browser Support

AVIF is now supported in all four major browser engines. Chrome added AVIF support back in 2020, Firefox followed, Safari added it with version 16 on recent Apple operating systems, and Edge, being Chromium-based, supports it alongside Chrome. This means the large majority of web users today can see AVIF images natively.

However, support arrived at different times, so users on older browser versions or older operating systems may still lack it. Safari in particular gated AVIF behind newer macOS and iOS releases, so some Apple users on older systems cannot display it. This uneven timeline is why fallbacks remain essential. For the format background, see what is an AVIF file.

Browser-by-Browser Breakdown

Here is where each major browser stands:

  • Chrome: Full AVIF support since 2020. Reliable across desktop and Android.
  • Edge: Supported, as Edge shares Chrome's Chromium engine.
  • Firefox: Full support on desktop and mobile.
  • Safari: Supported from version 16 onward, tied to recent macOS and iOS versions. Older Apple systems lack it.

The practical takeaway is that current versions of every major browser handle AVIF, but you cannot assume every visitor is on a current version. A small but real slice of traffic will need a fallback image.

Beyond the Browser: App and OS Support

Browser support is only half the story. Outside the browser, AVIF compatibility is patchier. Many desktop photo editors, office suites, and email clients still cannot open AVIF, and some operating systems need an add-on codec before the file manager will show a thumbnail. This is why an AVIF that displays perfectly on a web page may refuse to open when downloaded to a desktop.

For Windows users, our guide on opening AVIF on Windows covers the codec and conversion options. The reliable rule is that AVIF is great for web delivery but not yet a universal interchange format, so conversion is often needed when an image leaves the browser.

How to Serve AVIF with a Fallback

Because support is broad but not total, you should never serve AVIF as the only format in production. The standard solution is the HTML picture element, which lets the browser pick the first format it supports:

  1. Offer AVIF first. Add a source element pointing to the AVIF file with the AVIF media type.
  2. Add a WebP fallback. Provide a second source with a WebP version for browsers without AVIF.
  3. End with a JPEG img tag. Include a plain img element with a JPEG that every browser can render.
  4. Set width and height. Specify dimensions to avoid layout shift as images load.

With this structure, modern browsers download the tiny AVIF, slightly older ones get WebP, and everything else falls back to JPEG. No visitor ever sees a broken image. To build the WebP layer, the AVIF to WebP tool converts your AVIF files while keeping transparency.

AVIF vs WebP Support: Which Is Safer?

If you can only support one modern format, it is worth knowing how they compare on reach:

  • WebP has a longer track record and marginally broader support, especially on older devices, making it the safer single choice.
  • AVIF offers better compression but arrived later, so a slightly larger share of older clients lack it.

This is exactly why the picture element pairs them: AVIF for the best compression, WebP as the broader fallback. Our AVIF vs WebP comparison goes deeper on the trade-offs.

What to Do for Unsupported Environments

When you encounter a browser, app, or device that cannot open AVIF and you cannot rely on a web-page fallback, conversion is the answer. Turning the AVIF into a JPEG or PNG produces a file that works without any dependency on what is installed:

  1. Open the converter. Go to the AVIF to JPG tool.
  2. Add your AVIF. Drag it into the drop zone.
  3. Choose JPG or PNG. JPG for photos, PNG for transparency via the AVIF to PNG tool.
  4. Download and use it. The converted file opens anywhere.

Our step-by-step how to convert AVIF to JPG guide covers the quality settings.

Planning Your AVIF Strategy

The right approach depends on your context. For a website, embrace AVIF with a WebP and JPEG fallback to give every visitor the smallest file they can display. For files you distribute or that must open in desktop software, convert to JPEG up front. Many projects keep AVIF for online delivery and JPEG copies for everything else. To decide whether AVIF fits your project at all, read whether you should use AVIF.

Conclusion

AVIF is now supported in current versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, covering most web traffic, but older browsers and many desktop apps still cannot open it. Serve AVIF with a WebP and JPEG fallback using the picture element, and convert to JPG whenever an image needs to work outside the browser. Need a version that opens everywhere? Open the AVIF to JPG converter, drop in your file, and download a universally compatible image in seconds.