How to permanently allow opening .webp files in Photoshop on macOS Sequoia 15.4?

As noted by Matti Haveri, the xattr command worked for me to make a whole bunch of text data files (.dat) openable from the Finder in BBEdit. Been using these files for years without issue, until this week.

One note if you're removing the quarantine flag in a file synced to iCloud - removing the flag in the terminal doesn't update the file in iCloud. My datasets are synced via iCloud on two Macs, and I had to remove the flags on each Mac separately.

Happening to me today too. Not had to open a .webp in a while, but instantly have the same problem.

Best work around i could find without getting technical was to go to the Abobe Express image converter page and do each one manually.

https://www.adobe.com/express/feature/image/convert/webp-to-jpg

It doesn't look like you can batch convert, but if you only have a small amount it's a quick fix until Apple sort it out.

Apple didn't support WebP for a long time, primarily because they had a competing format of their own, HEVC. Both WebP and HEVC were suitable for replacing both JPEG and PNG formats for almost all usage cases. Both offer better compression than JPEG as well as transparency and lossless options like PNG. Safari was the last of the major web browsers to get WebP support, and only after it was obvious that WebP had won in the browser space. Nowadays, the whole lot of them are on track to be replaced by AVIF.

To be clear, HEVC is standards-based, but closed in practice due to HEVC licensing. Whereas WebP is royalty-free and has an open-source reference lib; it is far, far more open than HEVC.

The reason that Apple didn't support WebP for so long had nothing to do with what was best for the consumer. It was because they prioritise proprietary formats and walled gardens over their customers, just like all major corporations do to some degree... including Google who are really no better than Apple.

This particular ridiculous Apple bug is probably linked to a major zero-day vulnerability that was found in the WebP reference lib back in 2023. It allowed "viruses" to be built into WebP files. The issue was patched back in 2023, but if your software is not up-to-date, it could still be vulnerable. I imagine that this could be why WebPs are flagged as dangerous on Apple systems. Still makes no sense on a fully updated system when opening a clean file, but hey, when have Apple's decisions ever made sense? 

Hmm. Never worked with Preview for me, or anything else. I can only drag and drop into an open Photoshop file.

Sequoia 15.5

I have this problem with plain text files on 15.4, with both TextEdit and BBEdit. Changing the extension and Open With have no effect. The same alert happens with a file created after updating to 15.4, and with a file created before updating. Clearly this is a new Apple security issue introduced in 15.4 affecting many types of "document" files, and the work-arounds I've seen so far are untenable.

Same issue here, selecting command + i and always open with photoshop doesn't fix. You have to double click it to try to open it, click ‘done’ when that fails, which prompts the next thing to show up…. you separately then have settings > privacy open and click “open anyway” after the fail which then allows you to open that file... but you have to do that EVERY time for each one… it only fixes to the individual image and is a clunky multi click process.

As a graphic designer we often have to save product images from our websites to edit in photoshop and place in indesign - indesign will still place them, photoshop will not open without this issue. Only since Sequioa 15.4.

Please fix!!!

No luck - my M2 mac is a company machine governed by corporate security policy and has the "Anywhere" option locked in and grayed out.

Gatekeeper is treating webp's as individual apps, so it's making me clear each file individually because it thinks each webp is a new app downloaded from the web.

Not great if you have to use photoshop though. I reinstalled earlier versions of PS and it still persists. I tried on another Macbook (OS still not updated) and no issue. It may be PS that it's happening with, but it is an Apple OS issue that is causing it.

I started using an Automator-based AppleScript with the help of ChatGPT. This script automatically converts any WEBP image I drop into a folder on my desktop into a JPEG and deletes the original WEBP files.

It's far more than just webm - most impossible for my work is it is blocking every .sql, .php, and developer-related file. Couple that with all the other file types it has brought my daily work to a total stop. I've been a Mac user from its inception, and this Gatekeeper *#**#** is by far the worst thing Apple has ever done in its history. Requiring extra security for applications, sure, I get that, but blocking basically all files downloaded from a web browser without ANY permanent override option....?! The *height* of all bad decisions.

I am not surprised, this issue does not seem to be consistent for all users. For me, it affects a subset of WebP images, many still work fine. I have no idea what factors are at play that cause it to affect some WebP files and not others. Additionally, affected images can still be previewed in Finder. In addition, moving the images to another device, re-encoding them and moving them back also fixes the issue. I didn't look into it too deeply, as it is far easier for me to just load the affected images on a Windows or Unix system and work with them there.

Also, to be clear. Apple have had a reasonable level of WebP support since late 2020 / early 2021. Whatever is happening now is a new issue, and it doesn't only affect WebP files, as mentioned in many of the other comments.

No, this issue even affects the built-in Preview app. Not that it matters, but I also don't have any Adobe products installed. As mentioned by previous posts, removing the com.apple.quarantine extended attribute for an affected file resolves the issue at least in the short term.

Whistling Cat wrote:

And have been opening just fine on my Macbook in Photoshop/Preview until this weekend, when I updated to 15.5...

You hadn't mentioned that before. FWIW, Photoshop Elements 2025 won't open WebP files period. I don't use Photoshop.

In any case, if Preview won't open them it has nothing to do with Sequoia 15.5

Install EtreCheck and post the report. Allow Full Disk Access.

https://etrecheck.com/

Use the Additional Text icon to paste in the report.

I don't necessarily want to disable security provisions using terminal so I didn't try that. But it does work if you open the file from Photoshop File -> Open. Not ideal but easier than going to the security panel for every freakin' file.

I have noticed that it only happens on webp files that come via email. My other webp files that I've saved on my computer open fine with a double-click.

Would also be nice if there's a way to take off that mail icon on the file name of files copied from email as well. Wonder if that being there has something to do with why it won't open.

[Edited by Moderator]