You right-click an image from the web, hit “Save Image As,” and get a .webp file. Your email client won’t attach it. Your client’s CMS rejects it. Photoshop opens it but your coworker’s older version can’t.

WEBP is a great format inside browsers. Outside them, it’s still a headache. The fastest fix is already on your Mac: a right-click in Finder. Here are five ways to turn those files into JPGs, from three clicks to full batch runs.

Method 1: Finder Quick Action (fastest, no app needed)

macOS converts images from the right-click menu. No app to open, nothing to install.

  1. Select the .webp file in Finder (or select several at once)
  2. Right-click the selection
  3. Choose Quick Actions → Convert Image
  4. Set Format to JPEG
  5. Pick an image size (Actual Size keeps the original dimensions)
  6. Click Convert

The JPGs appear next to the originals, and the originals stay where they are. Because it works on a whole selection, this is also the free way to batch convert: select 200 files, one right-click, done.

Requires: macOS Monterey or later. If you don’t see Convert Image, your Mac is on an older version, so use Preview instead.

Method 2: Preview (when you want a quality slider)

Preview costs you a few more clicks, but it lets you set the JPEG quality, which the Quick Action doesn’t.

  1. Right-click the .webp file in Finder
  2. Open With → Preview
  3. File → Export
  4. Change the Format dropdown to JPEG
  5. Adjust the quality slider
  6. Save

For a few files, this works fine. For 50 files, you’ll want something else.

Batch workaround: Select multiple WEBP files in Finder, right-click, Open With → Preview. Then File → Export Selected Images. Choose JPEG. It works, but you lose control over individual quality settings and the interface gets awkward with many files.

Method 3: Terminal with sips (power users)

macOS has a built-in command-line image tool called sips. It handles WEBP to JPG in one line.

Single file:

sips -s format jpeg input.webp --out output.jpg

Entire folder:

for f in *.webp; do sips -s format jpeg "$f" --out "${f%.webp}.jpg"; done

This loops through every .webp file in the current directory and creates a .jpg with the same name. Fast, no installs, no GUI.

Limitation: sips doesn’t let you set JPEG quality. It uses a default that’s usually fine, but if you need control over compression, you’ll need another tool.

Method 4: Online converters (if you don’t mind uploading)

Tools like CloudConvert and Convertio handle WEBP to JPG in the browser. Drag in a file, pick JPG, download the result.

The tradeoff is obvious: your images go to someone else’s server. For a random screenshot, fine. For client work or anything confidential, not fine.

CloudConvert gives you 25 free conversions per day. Convertio’s free tier caps at 100MB per file and 10 conversions per day.

Method 5: Picmal (fastest for repeat batch work)

If this keeps happening, or you need quality control across hundreds of files, a dedicated converter pays for itself quickly.

  1. Download Picmal if you haven’t already
  2. Drag your WEBP files into the window (or an entire folder)
  3. Select JPG as the output format
  4. Adjust quality if you want (80% is a good default for web photos)
  5. Click Convert

Picmal preserves folder structure, so if you drag in a folder with subfolders, you get the same structure back with JPGs instead of WEBPs. Nothing gets uploaded anywhere, it runs entirely on your Mac.

Best for: Nested folders, quality control, and recurring workflows where you’re always getting WEBP and need JPG.

Which method to choose

SituationMethod
1 image, right nowQuick Action
A folder of images, no app, freeQuick Action (select all)
You need a quality sliderPreview
Nested folders, or you do this weeklyPicmal
You live in the terminalsips
You’re on someone else’s MacOnline converter

FAQ

How do I turn a WEBP into a JPG on Mac?

Right-click the file in Finder, choose Quick Actions → Convert Image, pick JPEG, and click Convert. Three clicks, no app, and it works on several files at once. Your original stays where it is.

Can you turn a WEBP file into a JPG without losing quality?

Not exactly. WEBP and JPG are both lossy formats (for photos). Converting between them means the image gets re-encoded, which introduces a small amount of additional compression. At 80-90% JPG quality, the difference is invisible for most purposes. If you need pixel-perfect preservation, convert to PNG instead.

Why are my images saving as WEBP instead of JPG?

Because the site served them that way. A WEBP photo is typically 25-35% smaller than the same JPG at similar visual quality, so most sites now serve WEBP to save bandwidth. “Save Image As” keeps whatever format the browser received, and Chrome, Safari and Firefox all behave the same way. You’re not doing anything wrong, you just have to convert after the fact.

How do I open a WEBP file on my Mac?

Double-click it. Preview has read WEBP since macOS Monterey, so it opens like any other image. If it opens in a browser instead, right-click the file, choose Open With, and pick Preview.

How do I batch convert a folder of WEBP files to JPG?

Select all the files in Finder, right-click, Quick Actions → Convert Image. That handles a whole selection for free. For a folder with subfolders, drag it into Picmal and select JPG, which preserves the structure. In Terminal, the sips for-loop in Method 3 does the same job.

Can I convert WEBP to JPG for free on Mac?

Yes. Finder Quick Actions, Preview and sips are all built into macOS. Nothing to download, nothing to upload, no account. Paid tools only start to matter when you’re converting hundreds of files regularly or you need control over JPEG quality.