Safari 26.4 Brings WebP, AVIF, and Canvas Upgrades: What It Means for Online Image Editing

Safari 26.4, released in March 2026, introduces several WebKit improvements that directly affect how online image editors like WebPS handle modern image formats. According to the WebKit Blog, the update adds support for decoding WebP and AVIF images on 2D canvas elements. This change removes a long-standing limitation for web-based image tools and opens up new possibilities for editing and exporting high-efficiency formats right in the browser.

What’s New in Safari 26.4 for Image Editors

Before this release, Safari could display WebP and AVIF images when loaded directly as `<img>`, but canvas operations—like reading pixel data, applying filters, or re-exporting—often failed or required workarounds. With the new `CanvasRenderingContext2D.decodeImageData()` and related updates, developers can now draw these formats onto a canvas and process them similarly to JPEG or PNG.

For users of WebPS, this means:

• Seamless editing of WebP and AVIF images. Opening a WebP file in WebPS on Safari now works without conversion steps. Filters, resizing, and layer operations can be applied directly.
• Faster local previews. Since the browser natively decodes the formats, performance improves over previous workarounds that used JavaScript decoders.
• Export flexibility. WebPS can now save edited images back to WebP or AVIF reliably on Safari, matching the capability already available on Chrome and Firefox.

Why This Matters for Online Image Editing

WebP and AVIF are increasingly popular for web delivery due to their superior compression. AVIF, in particular, often achieves 50% smaller file sizes compared to JPEG at similar quality. Until now, Safari lagged behind in canvas support, forcing users to switch browsers or use fallback formats. The WebKit update closes this gap, making WebPS a more consistent tool across all major browsers.

"Work smarter, not harder"—users no longer need to convert images to PNG or JPEG just to edit them in Safari. WebPS can now handle the full pipeline: open, edit, and save in the same modern format.

Practical Tips for WebPS Users

After updating to Safari 26.4, you can take advantage of these improvements right away:

1. Open WebP/AVIF directly. Drag and drop or use the File menu to load any WebP or AVIF image into WebPS. The canvas will render it correctly. 2. Edit with confidence. Apply filters, adjust colors, or use the polygon tool (introduced in miniPaint v4.11.0, which underpins WebPS) without worry about browser compatibility. 3. Export to modern formats. When saving, choose WebP or AVIF to keep file sizes small. WebPS already supports these as export options.

Looking Ahead

The WebKit team continues to refine canvas performance, with improvements in `createImageBitmap()` and offscreen canvas that benefit resource-intensive editing. While Safari 26.4 focuses on decode capabilities, future updates may bring hardware-accelerated encode support for AVIF, further speeding up exports.

About WebPS

WebPS is an online image editor that runs entirely in your browser. It supports multiple layers, filters, text tools, and export to WebP, AVIF, PNG, JPEG, and more. With Safari 26.4's new canvas support, WebPS delivers a more seamless experience for users on Mac, iPhone, and iPad.

Try WebPS now to edit your WebP and AVIF images directly—no downloads required.