AVIF Browser Support in 2026: Complete Compatibility Guide

AVIF browser support has grown significantly since the format was introduced in 2019. As of 2026, over 95% of global web users can view AVIF images natively. Here's the complete breakdown of which browsers support AVIF, what versions you need, and how to handle the remaining compatibility gaps.

Current AVIF Browser Support (2026)

According to Can I Use data, AVIF now has approximately 95.5% global browser support. The main gap is older versions of Safari (pre-16.4) and some niche browsers. For most websites, this coverage is sufficient for production use.

Desktop Browser Support Details

Google Chrome

Chrome was the first major browser to support AVIF, adding it in version 85 (August 2020). Chrome supports all AVIF features including lossy/lossless compression, alpha channel, 10-bit and 12-bit color depth, HDR, and animated AVIF sequences. Chrome also supports AVIF in CSS background images and canvas elements.

Mozilla Firefox

Firefox added AVIF support in version 93 (October 2021). Initially, animated AVIF support was limited, but Firefox 113+ provides full animated AVIF support. Firefox uses the dav1d decoder, which is known for its excellent performance.

Apple Safari

Safari was the last major browser to add AVIF support, doing so in version 16.4 (March 2023). This brought AVIF support to both macOS (Ventura and later) and iOS (16.4 and later). Safari's AVIF implementation supports 8-bit and 10-bit color depth, alpha transparency, and HDR content.

Microsoft Edge

Edge, being Chromium-based, inherited Chrome's AVIF support but officially confirmed it in version 121 (January 2024). Since Edge follows Chrome's rendering engine, AVIF support is identical to Chrome's.

Mobile Browser Support

Mobile AVIF support mirrors desktop support closely. Chrome on Android has supported AVIF since version 85, and Safari on iOS added support in iOS 16.4. This means the vast majority of smartphones sold in 2023 and later can display AVIF images natively.

One important consideration: while the browser may support AVIF, the operating system's native image viewer might not. If a user downloads an AVIF image, they may not be able to open it in their phone's gallery app. This is why converting AVIF to JPG or PNG before sharing remains a good practice.

Fallback Strategies for AVIF

1. The HTML 'picture' Element

The most reliable fallback strategy uses the HTML 'picture' element, which lets browsers choose the best format they support. The browser will try the first source it supports and ignore the rest. Place AVIF first, then WebP, then JPG as the final fallback.

2. Content Negotiation (Accept Header)

CDNs like Cloudflare, Fastly, and AWS CloudFront can automatically serve the best image format based on the browser's Accept header. When a browser sends 'Accept: image/avif', the CDN serves AVIF; otherwise, it falls back to WebP or JPG. This approach requires no HTML changes and works with existing <img> tags.

3. JavaScript Feature Detection

You can detect AVIF support in JavaScript by attempting to decode a tiny AVIF image. If the browser can decode it, you know AVIF is supported. This approach is useful for single-page applications where you need to dynamically load images.

AVIF Support in Image Processing Tools

What to Do When AVIF Isn't Supported

If you're working with AVIF files and need to share them with someone who can't open them, the simplest solution is to convert them to JPG or PNG. This ensures universal compatibility across all devices and software.

You can use our free online converter to quickly convert AVIF files to any format. The conversion happens entirely in your browser, so your images remain private and secure.