Images
What is a JPG file?
Updated Jul 2026
A JPG (also written JPEG) is the most common image format for photos, used by cameras, phones, and websites worldwide. It compresses images by discarding some detail you're unlikely to notice, which keeps file sizes small. That same compression is a limitation: repeated saves and edits gradually degrade quality.
- Extension
- .jpg
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- The universal photo format
- Compression
- Lossy
- Transparency
- None
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
Why JPG exists
JPEG was published as a standard in 1992 by a group of engineers and photography experts trying to solve one problem: photo files were too big to store or send over the slow connections of the time. Their compression method worked so well that it became the default for cameras and, later, the web.
The format works by throwing away image data that the human eye is bad at detecting, mostly subtle color variation rather than brightness. That's what makes JPGs so small compared to uncompressed formats, but it's also a one-way trip: once that detail is discarded, it's gone. Save and re-save a JPG enough times and you'll see it, soft blotches and blocky edges creeping into the image, especially around sharp lines and text.
People run into JPG constantly just by using a camera or downloading a picture, so the format itself is rarely the problem. The need to convert usually comes from a specific gap: a JPG that needs a transparent background and has to become a PNG, an EXIF-heavy JPG that needs its location data stripped, or a batch of camera photos that need converting to a smaller or newer format for storage.
The trade-offs
Strengths
- Opens on essentially every device, browser, and app
- Small file sizes make it easy to store and share
- Adjustable compression lets you trade quality for size
- Works for photos where a lossless format would be overkill
Watch-outs
- Loses a bit of quality every time it's re-saved
- No transparency support, unlike PNG
- Not ideal for text, line art, or images with sharp edges
- Can carry EXIF data, including location, without you noticing
A note on privacy
JPGs from a phone or camera usually carry EXIF metadata, including GPS coordinates, the device model, and the exact time the photo was taken. Run a JPG through an online converter or metadata stripper and that file, location included, gets uploaded to someone else's server first. Converting on your own computer keeps the photo and everything attached to it on your machine the entire time.
Convert a JPG file
- Convert JPG to PNG
- Convert JPG to WebP
- Convert JPG to AVIF
- Convert JPG to HEIC
- Convert JPG to HEIF
- Convert JPG to GIF
- Convert JPG to TIFF
- Convert JPG to BMP
Questions
How do I open a JPG file?
Almost anything opens a JPG automatically: every phone, computer, browser, and photo app on the market. There's essentially no device where this is a problem.
Is JPG better than PNG?
Neither is better outright; they're built for different jobs. JPG makes smaller files and is great for photos, but PNG keeps every pixel exact and supports transparency, which matters for logos, screenshots, and graphics with sharp edges.
Why does my camera or phone save photos as JPG?
JPG gives a good balance of quality and file size, so most cameras and phones default to it. Some let you switch to a lossless or raw format in the camera settings if you want to avoid the quality loss entirely.
Does converting a JPG lose more quality?
Converting a JPG to PNG doesn't lose anything further, since PNG just stores whatever pixels the JPG already has. Converting a JPG to another lossy format, or re-saving it as a JPG again, can introduce a small amount of additional loss.
Can I convert a JPG without uploading it?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts JPGs on your own computer, so the image and any metadata it carries never leave your machine.
Morphjet opens and converts JPG and 1,800+ other formats, all on your own computer. Launching this July.