Frequently Asked Questions
About XnView
What is the difference between XnView MP and XnView Classic?
XnView Classic is the historical, lightweight Windows-only version (XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, 11), ideal for older machines. XnView MP (Multi-Platform) is the modern successor, available on Windows, macOS and Linux. MP handles more recent formats (HEIC, AVIF, JPEG-XL), offers a tabbed interface and a faster engine. For new users, XnView MP is recommended.
Is XnView really free?
Yes. XnView MP, XnConvert and XnResize are free for private, educational, public services or non-profit use. For commercial use in a company, a paid license is required and can be purchased directly on xnview.com.
Does XnView contain ads or unwanted software?
No. Software downloaded from xnview.com contains no ads, no adware and no bundles. Always download from xnview.com to avoid third-party installers that may add unwanted software.
Compatibility & Platforms
How many image formats does XnView support?
XnView MP reads more than 500 image formats and can write to about 70 formats: JPEG, PNG, TIFF, GIF, BMP, WEBP, JPEG-XL, AVIF, HEIC/HEIF, PSD, JPEG 2000, OpenEXR, PDF, as well as most RAW formats (CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, DNG, ORF, RAF, RW2).
Can XnView open RAW files (CR2, NEF, ARW, DNG)?
Yes. XnView MP displays RAW files from most Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Olympus, Panasonic and Pentax cameras, with no separate install. For very recent camera bodies, update to the latest version.
Does XnView work on Mac (Apple Silicon M1/M2/M3)?
Yes. XnView MP, XnConvert and XnResize provide a native macOS version compatible with Intel and Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4).
Does XnView work on Linux?
Yes. XnView MP, XnConvert and XnResize are available as DEB, RPM, AppImage and tarball packages, in 64-bit and ARM, compatible with most modern distributions (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch, openSUSE).
Is there a portable version of XnView?
Yes. XnView MP ships an official portable archive (Windows, macOS, Linux) that runs without installation: at first launch, you can choose to keep settings next to the executable rather than in %APPDATA% / ~/.config, ideal for USB sticks or shared workstations.
What is the difference between XnResize and XnConvert?
XnResize is a minimalist tool dedicated to batch resizing, with a very simple interface. XnConvert is more complete: it resizes, but also handles format conversion, filters, watermarking, text overlay, metadata management and more than 80 chainable actions. Choose XnResize for quick resizing, XnConvert for advanced processing.
Features & Capabilities
Does XnView MP have a catalog database for very large photo libraries?
Yes. XnView MP includes a built-in SQLite-based catalog that indexes folders you choose, storing thumbnails, EXIF/IPTC/XMP metadata, ratings and labels for fast searching across tens or hundreds of thousands of images. Enable Tools > Catalog to scan a folder, then use the Search panel to filter by keyword, rating, date, camera or any metadata field.
Can XnView manage hierarchical keywords (Lightroom-style)?
Yes. XnView MP supports hierarchical keywords stored in XMP (lr:hierarchicalSubject), with a tree-style category panel for tagging images. Keywords are written to XMP sidecar files or directly to the XMP block of JPEG, TIFF, PSD and RAW, ensuring round-trip compatibility with Adobe Lightroom Classic, Bridge and Photo Mechanic.
Can XnView read or share metadata with Adobe Lightroom?
Yes. XnView MP reads and writes XMP sidecar files (.xmp) that are compatible with Adobe Lightroom and Bridge — star ratings (xmp:Rating), color labels and keywords (including hierarchicalSubject) are exchanged in both directions. Note: XnView MP is a viewer and organizer, not a RAW development module — Lightroom-specific develop settings (exposure, crop, masks) are not applied to the preview.
Does XnView support color management and ICC profiles?
Yes. XnView MP reads embedded ICC profiles in JPEG, PNG, TIFF, PSD, JPEG-XL and most RAW formats. Configure the working space in Tools > Options > View > Color management — sRGB is the default, Adobe RGB and custom .icc profiles are supported. XnConvert also converts between color spaces or strips profiles in batch.
Can XnView play video files (MP4, MOV, AVI)?
Yes. XnView MP plays MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, WebM and most container formats supported by FFmpeg, with thumbnails generated automatically in the browser. The built-in player handles seek, fullscreen and standard playback controls — no codec install required for the formats covered by FFmpeg.
Can XnView rotate or crop JPEG files without quality loss?
Yes. XnView MP performs JPEG lossless rotation, flipping and cropping (when the crop aligns with the 8x16 pixel block grid). Use Image > JPEG lossless transformations or Tools > Batch processing to apply rotations to many files based on the EXIF orientation tag.
Where are XnView MP settings stored, and how do I move them to another computer?
XnView MP stores its settings in %APPDATA%\XnViewMP on Windows, ~/.config/XnViewMP on Linux, and ~/.xnviewmp on macOS. Copy that folder to migrate preferences, keyboard shortcuts and the catalog database to another machine.
How do I…
How do I make XnView the default image viewer on Windows?
In XnView MP: Tools > Options > Integration > File associations, then pick the formats. On Windows 10/11, also confirm via Settings > Apps > Default apps, since Windows requires a per-user confirmation before applying a new default viewer.
How do I open or convert HEIC/HEIF photos from my iPhone?
XnView MP reads HEIC and HEIF photos (the format used by recent iPhones) natively on Windows, macOS and Linux — no separate codec required in most cases. To convert HEIC to JPEG, PNG or TIFF in batch, drop the photos into XnConvert and choose the output format.
How do I view PDF, PostScript (PS), EPS or AI files?
To view PDF, PostScript (PS), EPS or AI files in XnView MP, install Ghostscript first (32-bit or 64-bit, matching your XnView MP build). XnView MP detects it automatically on next launch and uses it to render these formats.
How do I convert several images at once (batch)?
Two options: one-off conversion in XnView MP via Tools > Batch convert; complex processing (filters, watermark, chained resize, text overlay) with XnConvert, which offers more than 80 configurable actions.
How do I add a watermark to multiple images?
Open XnConvert, drag your photos in, then in the Actions tab add a Watermark step — choose a text, an image (PNG with transparency, your logo) or both, set opacity, position and offset, then add a destination format in the Output tab and click Convert. XnConvert applies the same watermark to every image in one batch.
How do I convert an image to PDF with XnView?
Select the images in XnView MP, then Create > Multi-page file, format PDF. For many files or automation, XnConvert handles batch conversion to PDF with more options.
How do I resize an image with XnView?
In XnView MP: Image > Resize (Shift+S). Enter the new size in pixels or as a percentage, keep the aspect ratio, choose Lanczos for best quality, then save. To resize many images in one operation, use XnResize (simple and fast) or XnConvert (more control).
How do I adjust brightness, contrast or apply filters?
Open an image in XnView MP and choose Image > Adjust to access brightness, contrast, gamma, levels, curves, hue/saturation, color balance and shadow/highlight controls. The Image > Filter menu offers dozens of effects: blur, sharpen, noise reduction, emboss, edge detection, and stylised filters. All adjustments preview live and can be replayed in batch via Tools > Batch processing or in XnConvert.
How do I edit or remove EXIF, IPTC or XMP metadata?
In XnView MP, select your images, then use the Metadata menu: Metadata > Edit IPTC or Metadata > Edit XMP opens the dedicated editor for captions, keywords, copyright, ratings and other fields. To strip metadata, choose Metadata > Clean Metadata and pick which blocks (EXIF, IPTC, XMP, thumbnails) to remove. For batch processing across thousands of images, the same actions are available as steps in XnConvert.
How do I sort or rename photos by their EXIF capture date?
In XnView MP, sort the browser by Date taken (View > Sort by). To rename in batch using EXIF data, open Tools > Batch rename and use placeholders like {EXIF:DateTime} or {DateTaken|Y-m-d_His}.
How do I tag and categorize photos in XnView MP?
XnView MP has a Categories panel (View > Categories) for organising photos in a tree of user-defined tags, separate from filesystem folders — one image can belong to several categories at once. The category assignments are stored in XnView MP's catalog and can also be exported as XMP keywords for portability with Lightroom and other tools.
How do I create a contact sheet from a folder of photos?
Select the images in XnView MP, then choose Create > Contact sheet. Configure the rows, columns, page size, captions (filename, EXIF, custom text) and output format (JPEG, PNG, TIFF, PDF). XnView MP can produce printable contact sheets directly or export multi-page PDFs containing all your selections.
How do I find duplicates in a photo library?
In XnView MP: Tools > Find Similar. Comparison is possible by name, size, date, binary content or visual similarity, which also detects recompressed or resized versions of the same image.
How do I compare two images side by side?
In XnView MP, select two or more thumbnails (Ctrl-click), then View > Compare. The viewer opens with synchronised pan and zoom — useful for before/after edits, JPEG quality tests or duplicate verification. Up to four images can be compared at once.
How do I run a slideshow or present photos full-screen?
Select images or a folder, then in XnView MP choose View > Slideshow (or press Enter / F11 depending on the build). XnView MP lets you save slideshows as .ini sessions with custom transitions, intervals, music and per-image timings, ready to be replayed or shown on a TV.
How do I view photos on a map using their GPS data?
If your photos contain GPS coordinates in their EXIF data (most smartphones and many cameras add them automatically), XnView MP shows a Map panel (View > Map) with pins for the selected images. You can also reverse-geotag photos by dragging the map marker, or use Tools > Set GPS to apply a position to images that lack one.
Support
Where can I ask a question or report a bug?
The official forum newsgroup.xnview.com is the main channel, moderated by the community. Dedicated sections exist for bugs, suggestions and questions in several languages.