AVIF in Adobe Photoshop: How to Open and Convert AVIF Files

The Problem: Photoshop and AVIF

You've received an image in AVIF format and you need to edit it in Adobe Photoshop. You double-click the file, and Photoshop either doesn't recognize it or throws an error. You're not alone — this is one of the most common frustrations for designers and photographers working with modern image formats.

Despite AVIF being supported by every major web browser since 2023, Adobe Photoshop's support for the format has been limited. Let's look at the current state of affairs and the best workarounds available.

Current State of AVIF Support in Photoshop

As of Adobe Photoshop 2025 (version 26.x), AVIF support is still in a transitional state:

• Opening AVIF files: Photoshop gained basic AVIF import support in version 25.0 (October 2023) as a beta feature. However, support can be inconsistent. Some AVIF files open fine while others — particularly those with HDR content, specific color profiles, or certain encoding parameters — may fail to open or display incorrectly.
• Saving as AVIF: Photoshop's "Save As" and "Export As" dialogs have limited or no AVIF export options in most versions. The "Save for Web (Legacy)" dialog does not support AVIF at all.
• Camera Raw: Adobe Camera Raw, which powers Photoshop's raw file processing, does not currently treat AVIF as a supported raw format.

In practice, this means you often can't rely on Photoshop to handle AVIF files directly. You need a reliable conversion step in your workflow.

The Recommended Workflow: Convert First, Then Edit

The most reliable approach is to convert AVIF files to JPG (or PNG, if you need transparency) before opening them in Photoshop. Here's the workflow we recommend:

Step 1: Convert AVIF to JPG

Use our free AVIF to JPG converter to quickly convert your AVIF images to high-quality JPG files. The conversion is done entirely in your browser, so your files remain private and never leave your computer.

• Go to AVIFJPGConverter.com/avif-to-jpg.
• Drag and drop your AVIF file(s) onto the converter.
• Download the converted JPG file(s).

The converter produces high-quality JPG output that preserves the visual fidelity of the original AVIF image. If you need transparency, convert to PNG instead.

Step 2: Open and Edit in Photoshop

Open the converted JPG file in Photoshop as you normally would. You now have full access to all of Photoshop's editing tools — layers, filters, adjustments, retouching, and everything else.

Step 3: Save and Export

When you're done editing, you have two options:

• Save as JPG: Use File > Export > Export As and choose JPEG if you need maximum compatibility.
• Convert back to AVIF: If you want the file size benefits of AVIF for web use, save your edited image as a high-quality JPG and then use our JPG to AVIF converter to create an optimized AVIF version. This gives you the best of both worlds: Photoshop's full editing capabilities and AVIF's superior compression.

Alternative Approaches

Using Photoshop Plugins

Some third-party plugins claim to add AVIF support to Photoshop. While these can work, they come with caveats:

• Plugin compatibility may break with Photoshop updates.
• Some plugins are poorly maintained or abandoned.
• Performance can be inconsistent depending on the AVIF file's encoding parameters.
• You need to verify that any plugin you install comes from a trustworthy source.

For most users, the convert-then-edit workflow described above is simpler and more reliable than managing third-party plugins.

Using Other Image Editors

If you primarily need to view or make simple edits to AVIF files, some alternative image editors have better native AVIF support:

• GIMP: The free, open-source image editor has supported AVIF import and export since version 2.10.32 (via the libheif library). AVIF support is solid and well-maintained.
• Affinity Photo: Serif's Photoshop competitor added AVIF support and handles the format well.
• macOS Preview: On macOS Ventura and later, Preview can open AVIF files for basic viewing and simple operations like cropping and resizing.

Tips for a Smooth AVIF-Photoshop Workflow

• Convert at high quality: When converting from AVIF to JPG, use the highest quality setting available to minimize generational quality loss. Our converter defaults to high quality for this reason.
• Keep your originals: Always keep the original AVIF file alongside your converted JPG. If AVIF support in Photoshop improves in the future (and it likely will), you'll want access to the original file.
• Use PSD for your working file: Save your Photoshop editing work as a PSD file (Photoshop's native format) to preserve layers and non-destructive edits. Only export to JPG or AVIF as a final output step.
• Batch convert when possible: If you have a folder full of AVIF files to edit, convert them all to JPG at once using our batch converter rather than converting them one at a time.

Will Photoshop Fully Support AVIF?

Adobe has been slowly expanding AVIF support in Photoshop, and it's reasonable to expect full native support in a future version. Adobe has historically been slow to adopt new image formats — it took years for WebP support to become reliable in Photoshop — but they do eventually get there.

Several factors suggest full AVIF support is coming:

• Adobe is a member of the Alliance for Open Media, the organization behind AVIF.
• AVIF browser support has reached the mainstream threshold that typically prompts Adobe to act.
• Competing editors like GIMP and Affinity Photo already support AVIF, creating competitive pressure.
• Camera manufacturers are beginning to explore AVIF as an output format, which would force Adobe's hand via Camera Raw.

Until that day comes, the convert-edit-convert workflow described in this article is your best option. Our AVIF to JPG and JPG to AVIF converters make the process fast and painless.