# GOOGLE is now using webP format  you will need this codec



## Didereaux (Nov 8, 2016)

People using good ol' do no evil GOOGLE to store their photos will find that when you DL what you uploaded as a jpg is now a webP extension.    In order to view them as you have been you will need to DL this windows codec  It is an easy install.
WebP  |  Google Developers


added update info  thanks to Advanced Photo.  ONLY your recently uploaded pics are converted to webP, the older ones are still jpgs (for now)


----------



## ashleykaryl (Nov 9, 2016)

That's strange. I just went into Google Drive and found some Jpegs, but the one I downloaded was still a Jpeg. I am on a Mac, so I wonder if Google is only changing images on Windows.


----------



## john.margetts (Nov 9, 2016)

I also tried downloading a couple of images on my iMac and they were certainly JPEGs. Maybe iOs Sierra already has the required codex in place.


----------



## Didereaux (Nov 9, 2016)

Read this article
What is the WebP Image Format (And Why Does It Matter)?


----------



## ashleykaryl (Nov 9, 2016)

I know what the format is but I'm not seeing my images being converted to WebP by Google. It's not all bad as a web format, but unfortunately browser compatibility is real issue. Can I use... Support tables for HTML5, CSS3, etc


----------



## ashleykaryl (Nov 9, 2016)

Just a thought, but I seem to recall an option sometime back where Google were offering unlimited image storage if you agreed to store them in a compressed format that was claimed would still deliver good quality. I declined, but wonder if the original poster accepted somehow when the message appeared. This all happened several months back and I think I saw it when I purchased a new Android phone.


----------



## Advanced Photo (Nov 9, 2016)

I believe it only applies to images uploaded after the converter was in place, not to old images you have stored, that would take forever for them to convert everything on all their servers right away.


----------



## ashleykaryl (Nov 9, 2016)

I just tried it with a new image and then downloaded it shortly afterwards. It was exactly the same.


----------



## Advanced Photo (Nov 9, 2016)

ashleykaryl said:


> I just tried it with a new image and then downloaded it shortly afterwards. It was exactly the same.


Uploaded to where? It isn't being used everywhere yet.


----------



## ashleykaryl (Nov 9, 2016)

I simply dragged a Jpeg image to my Google drive folder via the web browser and it uploaded automatically. After a few minutes I selected the image and hit the download button, but the downloaded file was identical to the one I uploaded.


----------



## Advanced Photo (Nov 9, 2016)

ashleykaryl said:


> I simply dragged a Jpeg image to my Google drive folder via the web browser and it uploaded automatically. After a few minutes I selected the image and hit the download button, but the downloaded file was identical to the one I uploaded.


OK, but did you look at the properties of it while it was in the box?


----------



## ashleykaryl (Nov 9, 2016)

I've just looked at the details of the image on Google drive and it appears unchanged from the upload. I can wait and check it again in the morning in case there is a delay.


----------



## Advanced Photo (Nov 9, 2016)

No need, it probably isn't the same everywhere in the world.


----------



## Didereaux (Nov 9, 2016)

Advanced Photo said:


> I believe it only applies to images uploaded after the converter was in place, not to old images you have stored, that would take forever for them to convert everything on all their servers right away.



ahh   that makes sense.


----------



## Didereaux (Nov 9, 2016)

Advanced Photo said:


> I believe it only applies to images uploaded after the converter was in place, not to old images you have stored, that would take forever for them to convert everything on all their servers right away.



BINGO!!!!!  that was EXACTLY it.  Only our very latest uploads were converted to the webP format.   Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## snowbear (Nov 9, 2016)

I just uploaded two to Google Photos - both stayed JPG.

Edit:  Three for three.  I'll check later to see if anything is different.

OK - I got it.  If I post a photo on Google+ as a "What's with you" (the social media area), it will change.  The images uploaded directly to Google Photos don't appear to be changing.  It's appears it's going to be a non-issue for me.

And, if nobody else has tried, posting a link to an image results in the link as well as the embedded image, changed, of course; following the link gets the unchanged original.


----------



## Advanced Photo (Nov 9, 2016)

It would only be for images that are displayed on their servers and not ones stored but not displayed. It is a web display format.


----------



## ashleykaryl (Nov 10, 2016)

The WebP format appears to have poor compatibility with many browsers at present. Perhaps this is Google's way of trying to force the adoption.


----------



## snowbear (Nov 10, 2016)

ashleykaryl said:


> The WebP format appears to have poor compatibility with many browsers at present. Perhaps this is Google's way of trying to force the adoption.


It's not uncommon for one of the "giants" to start using a format before an updated standard is adopted.  Obviously, a company will push their own development over others.  Back in the dial-up days, there were two prominent 56k modem protocols being used, before one was finally adopted.


----------



## ashleykaryl (Nov 10, 2016)

Sometimes it works the other way around as well. Apple almost single handedly killed off Flash by publicly criticising it and not installing it on iOS devices.


----------



## Advanced Photo (Nov 10, 2016)

They only killed it on their devices. It still works just fine for the rest.


----------

