If you’re someone that downloads a lot of images from the web, you’d know the struggle of trying to save WebP images.
With images presented as JPEGs, PNGs, or other regular image formats, you’re free to right-click > Save image as and have the image show up in said format within your downloads. However, in cases where images are presented in WebP format, the right-click > Save method gives you a .webp file that isn’t supported by most regular image viewers.
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This is where the popular Chrome extension Save Image as Type comes in (or used to come in).
With over a million users at its peak, as highlighted by XDA, Save Image as Type allowed users to force-save images in different formats as PNGs or JPGs. Several of us at Android Police were regular users of the extension, with News Editor Chandra Steele going as far as saying that it was her “most-used Chrome extension.”
Convenience has quickly turned into a cautionary tale
Google has disabled the extension, and it is sending users a blunt warning: “This extension contains malware and is unsafe.” The warning prompt further suggests that users should remove the extension so that it can no longer “see and change your data on sites you visit, including your personal info.”
According to digging done by XDA, the warning prompt stems from a malicious operation that’s not too different from what Honey was accused of.
The extension reportedly utilized hidden iframes to perform ‘cookie stuffing,’ with the primary aim to plant affiliate tracking cookies in users’ browsers. Similar to Honey, this allowed the extension to claim credit for sales it had no part in facilitating.
If you’ve recently utilized the extension, the only true way to purge its markers is to clear your browsing data, including all ‘Cookies and other site data.’
Alternatively, if you’re looking for a replacement, ‘Save Image As PNG‘ appears to be a safe choice.
