OpenAnyFile
Works
Viewing, inspecting and verifying. You get the image (or the embedded full-size preview, for camera RAW) rendered on screen. File details, exact byte size and the detected signature are always shown.
How to open a .arw file
Opening a ARW file usually means tracking down special software. It does not have to. Here is what the format really is, and a browser-based way to read one right now.
What is a .arw file?
Sony Alpha RAW is an image format developed by Sony, first appearing in 2005. It is normally produced by Sony Alpha cameras.
TIFF-based RAW. Sony's lossy-compressed variant discards data in high-contrast edges, a known cause of star-eater artefacts in astrophotography.
| Full name | Sony Alpha RAW |
|---|---|
| File category | Images |
| MIME type | image/x-sony-arw |
| Magic bytes (file signature) | 49 49 2A 00 |
| Developer | Sony |
| Introduced | 2005 |
| Usually created by | Sony Alpha cameras |
| OpenAnyFile engine | TIFF/RAW decoder |
| Opens without upload | Yes — parsed locally in your browser |
Open a .arw file in your browser
OpenAnyFile routes .arw to its TIFF/RAW decoder, which decodes the image (or the embedded full-size preview, for camera RAW) rendered on screen.
- Open the OpenAnyFile opener in this browser — nothing to download or sign up for.
- Drag your .arw file onto the drop zone, click to browse for it, or paste it with Ctrl+V.
- The extension is detected and the file is handed to the TIFF/RAW decoder.
- Your ARW opens on its own viewer page: the image (or the embedded full-size preview, for camera RAW) rendered on screen.
- Use fullscreen for a closer look, or download the file back out unchanged. No account, no upload, no watermark, no file-size gate.
What you can and cannot do with it here
Does not work
Editing and re-saving. OpenAnyFile is a reader, not an editor — for changes you still need special software or an equivalent.
Your {ext} file stays on your device
The entire pipeline — detection, decoding, rendering — runs client-side. Your browser hands the bytes to a decoder compiled to WebAssembly, the result is drawn to the page, and that is the whole journey. No account is created, no file is stored, and no analytics event carries your filename. This is also why there is no size limit imposed by a server: the only ceiling is your own available memory.
Frequently asked questions about ARW files
Can I open a .arw file without installing special software?
Yes. OpenAnyFile's TIFF/RAW decoder runs in your browser, so you can read a ARW file with nothing installed. You get the image (or the embedded full-size preview, for camera RAW) rendered on screen. For full editing you still need the original application — this is a viewer, not an editor.
How can I check a file really is a ARW file?
Look at the first bytes rather than the extension. A genuine ARW begins with 49 49 2A 00. Opening the file in OpenAnyFile shows that signature in the file-details panel, so a file renamed to .arw by mistake is easy to spot.
Is it safe to open a ARW file online?
With OpenAnyFile, yes, because nothing is uploaded. The file is read locally through your browser's File API and never leaves your device, so there is no server copy to leak, log or retain. That matters most for the kind of file people are least willing to hand to a random converter site.
What is a .arw file, exactly?
Sony Alpha RAW — an image/x-sony-arw format created by Sony since 2005. TIFF-based RAW. Sony's lossy-compressed variant discards data in high-contrast edges, a known cause of star-eater artefacts in astrophotography.
Does the same viewer handle formats related to ARW?
Yes — the same engine also opens .cr2, .dng, .nef, so you can compare related files without switching tools.
Related formats
These open with the same engine, so if you have one of these sitting next to your .arw file, it will open too: