---
title: ".jfif file — what it is and how to open it"
description: "A .jfif file is a JPEG File Interchange Format. An ordinary JPEG that Windows saved with a different extension. How to open one on Windows, macOS and Linux, and what to convert it to."
url: https://atoneplace.net/file/jfif/
site: "At One Place"
---

# .jfif files

**.jfif file: JPEG File Interchange Format**

An ordinary JPEG that Windows saved with a different extension.

## What opens a .jfif file

- **Windows:** Photos (built in), Paint (built in), IrfanView
- **macOS:** Preview (built in), Photos (built in)
- **Linux:** Image Viewer / Loupe (built in), GIMP
- **In a browser:** Any web browser

## What a .jfif file is

JFIF is the 1992 wrapper convention that made JPEG interoperable, and .jfif is simply the extension it sometimes gets. People usually meet it after saving an image from a browser on Windows, where a registry mapping caused images to land as .jfif instead of .jpg. The bytes are a normal JPEG: renaming the file to .jpg changes nothing about the image and fixes most software.

## Converting it

A .jfif file is commonly converted to .jpg, .png, .webp or .pdf. It is a binary format, so a text editor will show unreadable characters rather than its contents.

## Details

- **Extension:** .jfif
- **Full name:** JPEG File Interchange Format
- **Category:** Images
- **MIME type:** image/jpeg
- **Created by:** C-Cube Microsystems / ITU-T
- **Format:** Binary

## Common questions

### How do I open a .jfif file?

On Windows use Photos (built in); on macOS use Preview (built in); on Linux use Image Viewer / Loupe (built in). An ordinary JPEG that Windows saved with a different extension.

### What is a .jfif file?

JPEG File Interchange Format. JFIF is the 1992 wrapper convention that made JPEG interoperable, and .jfif is simply the extension it sometimes gets. People usually meet it after saving an image from a browser on Windows, where a registry mapping caused images to land as .jfif instead of .jpg.

### Can I convert a .jfif file?

Yes. It is usually converted to .jpg, .png, .webp or .pdf, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.

## Related pages

- [.jpg — JPEG Image](https://atoneplace.net/file/jpg/)
- [.png — Portable Network Graphics](https://atoneplace.net/file/png/)
- [.jpeg — JPEG Image (four-letter form)](https://atoneplace.net/file/jpeg/)
- [.heic — High Efficiency Image Container](https://atoneplace.net/file/heic/)
- [.webp — WebP Image](https://atoneplace.net/file/webp/)
- [.gif — Graphics Interchange Format](https://atoneplace.net/file/gif/)
- [.psd — Adobe Photoshop Document](https://atoneplace.net/file/psd/)
- [.svg — Scalable Vector Graphics](https://atoneplace.net/file/svg/)
- [.ai — Adobe Illustrator Artwork](https://atoneplace.net/file/ai/)
- [.avif — AV1 Image File Format](https://atoneplace.net/file/avif/)
- [.tiff — Tagged Image File Format](https://atoneplace.net/file/tiff/)
- [.raw — Camera Raw Image](https://atoneplace.net/file/raw/)

## Sources

- Media Types Registry — IANA (https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/)
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)