Will this file open?
Before you send something to someone, check whether their machine can actually open it. Drop the file in or just type the extension.
Every format, and where it opens
macOS means a current Mac with what Apple ships. Windows means Windows 11 with its stock Photos and Media Player. Browsers means current Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge. VLC opens almost everything on this list, so "won't open" means without installing anything.
Images
| Format | macOS | Windows | Browsers | Send instead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPG | macOS Opens | Windows Opens | Browsers Opens | Send instead Nothing, it opens everywhere |
| PNG | macOS Opens | Windows Opens | Browsers Opens | Send instead Nothing, it opens everywhere |
| GIF | macOS Opens | Windows Opens | Browsers Opens | Send instead Nothing, it opens everywhere |
| BMP | macOS Opens | Windows Opens | Browsers Opens | Send instead Nothing, it opens everywhere |
| TIFF | macOS Opens | Windows Opens | Browsers Won't open Safari shows TIFF. Chrome, Firefox and Edge do not. | Send instead JPG |
| WebP | macOS Opens | Windows Opens Photos has handled WebP since 2023. Older Windows 10 machines may want the WebP Image Extension for File Explorer thumbnails. | Browsers Opens Safari joined at 16, everything else long before. | Send instead Nothing, it opens everywhere |
| AVIF | macOS Opens | Windows Needs a plugin Needs the AV1 Video Extension from the Microsoft Store before Photos will open it. | Browsers Opens Chrome 85, Firefox 93, Safari 16.4, Edge 121. About 95% of people. | Send instead JPG |
| HEIC | macOS Opens | Windows Needs a plugin Two installs, not one: HEIF Image Extensions (free) AND HEVC Video Extensions ($0.99). The free HEIF one alone will not show the photo. Some prebuilt PCs have a free OEM version of the HEVC one. | Browsers Won't open Safari only. Chrome, Firefox and Edge will not render a HEIC. | Send instead JPG |
| HEIF | macOS Opens | Windows Needs a plugin HEIF Image Extensions plus HEVC Video Extensions, same as HEIC. | Browsers Won't open Safari only. | Send instead JPG |
| JPEG XL | macOS Opens | Windows Won't open No stock support and no Store extension. | Browsers Won't open Safari 17 has partial support. Chrome and Firefox keep it switched off. Around 15% of people can see it. | Send instead JPG |
| SVG | macOS Opens | Windows Opens Opens in Edge and any browser. The Photos app is not the app for it. | Browsers Opens | Send instead Nothing, it opens everywhere |
| ICO | macOS Opens | Windows Opens | Browsers Opens | Send instead Nothing, it opens everywhere |
| ICNS | macOS Opens | Windows Won't open Nothing on Windows reads it. | Browsers Won't open | Send instead PNG |
| PSD | macOS Opens Preview opens it flattened. Editing needs Photoshop. | Windows Won't open Needs Photoshop or something that reads PSD. | Browsers Won't open | Send instead PNG |
| DNG | macOS Opens | Windows Needs a plugin Needs the Raw Image Extension from the Microsoft Store. | Browsers Won't open | Send instead JPG |
| CR2 | macOS Opens | Windows Needs a plugin Needs the Raw Image Extension from the Microsoft Store. | Browsers Won't open | Send instead JPG |
| CR3 | macOS Opens | Windows Needs a plugin Needs the Raw Image Extension from the Microsoft Store. | Browsers Won't open | Send instead JPG |
| NEF | macOS Opens | Windows Needs a plugin Needs the Raw Image Extension from the Microsoft Store. | Browsers Won't open | Send instead JPG |
| ARW | macOS Opens | Windows Needs a plugin Needs the Raw Image Extension from the Microsoft Store. | Browsers Won't open | Send instead JPG |
Audio
| Format | macOS | Windows | Browsers | Send instead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MP3 | macOS Opens | Windows Opens | Browsers Opens | Send instead Nothing, it opens everywhere |
| AAC | macOS Opens | Windows Opens | Browsers Opens | Send instead Nothing, it opens everywhere |
| M4A | macOS Opens | Windows Opens | Browsers Opens | Send instead Nothing, it opens everywhere |
| WAV | macOS Opens | Windows Opens | Browsers Opens | Send instead Nothing, it opens everywhere |
| FLAC | macOS Opens | Windows Opens Media Player handles FLAC. | Browsers Opens | Send instead Nothing, it opens everywhere |
| ALAC | macOS Opens | Windows Won't open Media Player does not play ALAC. | Browsers Won't open Safari plays it. Others do not. | Send instead FLAC |
| OGG | macOS Won't open Music and QuickTime do not play it. VLC does. | Windows Opens Media Player handles OGG. | Browsers Opens | Send instead MP3 |
| Opus | macOS Won't open Not in Music or QuickTime. VLC plays it. | Windows Opens | Browsers Opens | Send instead MP3 |
| AIFF | macOS Opens | Windows Opens | Browsers Opens | Send instead Nothing, it opens everywhere |
| WMA | macOS Won't open Nothing Apple ships plays it. VLC does. | Windows Opens | Browsers Won't open | Send instead MP3 |
Video
| Format | macOS | Windows | Browsers | Send instead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MP4 | macOS Opens | Windows Opens | Browsers Opens | Send instead Nothing, it opens everywhere |
| MOV | macOS Opens | Windows Won't open Media Player will not play a MOV. VLC will. | Browsers Needs a plugin Safari yes. The rest, only sometimes. | Send instead MP4 |
| MKV | macOS Won't open QuickTime does not open MKV. VLC does, and always has. | Windows Opens Windows 11's Media Player handles MKV. | Browsers Won't open | Send instead MP4 |
| WebM | macOS Won't open QuickTime does not open it. VLC does. | Windows Opens | Browsers Opens | Send instead MP4 |
| AVI | macOS Needs a plugin Depends entirely on the codec inside. QuickTime opens some, VLC opens the rest. | Windows Opens | Browsers Won't open | Send instead MP4 |
| WMV | macOS Won't open Needs VLC. | Windows Opens | Browsers Won't open | Send instead MP4 |
| HEVC / H.265 | macOS Opens | Windows Needs a plugin Needs HEVC Video Extensions from the Store, which Microsoft charges $0.99 for because it licenses the patents. | Browsers Needs a plugin Safari yes. Chrome needs hardware support. Firefox is patchy. | Send instead H.264 MP4 |
| M4V | macOS Opens | Windows Opens | Browsers Opens | Send instead Nothing, it opens everywhere |
| FLV | macOS Won't open VLC only. | Windows Won't open VLC only. | Browsers Won't open No browser has played Flash video since 2020. | Send instead MP4 |
| MPG / MPEG | macOS Opens | Windows Opens | Browsers Won't open | Send instead MP4 |
| 3GP | macOS Opens | Windows Needs a plugin Depends on the codec inside. | Browsers Won't open | Send instead MP4 |
Questions
Is my file uploaded?
No, and this one does not even read the file. It looks at the extension on the end of the filename and nothing else. You can drop a file in with your network connection turned off.
Why won't my iPhone photo open on Windows?
Because it is a HEIC. Windows needs two separate installs before it will show one: HEIF Image Extensions, which is free, and HEVC Video Extensions, which Microsoft charges $0.99 for because it licenses the patents. The free one on its own is not enough. Converting to JPG avoids the whole thing.
Why won't my MKV play on my Mac?
QuickTime has never supported MKV. This one runs the opposite way to what people expect: Windows 11 plays MKV out of the box and the Mac is the machine that needs help. VLC opens it, or convert it to MP4.
What is the safest format to send someone?
JPG for photos, PNG for graphics and screenshots, MP4 with H.264 for video, and MP3 for audio. They are not the most efficient formats any more, but nothing on earth fails to open them.
How do I convert a whole folder of these?
Picmal converts them in one pass on your Mac, offline. Drop the folder in, pick the output format, and every file comes out the other side. No uploading, no per-file limits. If you want the free routes first, the guides on converting HEIC and converting MOV start with what your Mac already does.
Convert a whole folder at once, on your Mac
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