Understanding NextGEN Gallery's AVIF and Video Support: Current Status and Workarounds

Many NextGEN Gallery users are excited about modern media formats and features, such as AVIF images and video support. A common point of confusion arises when these features, which may be available elsewhere in WordPress, are not yet integrated into the plugin. This article clarifies the current status of these popular feature requests based on community discussions and official responses.

The Core Issue: Native Support vs. Plugin Support

A user's expectation is often that if WordPress core supports a feature, all major plugins will automatically support it. However, plugin development operates on a separate track. The 'Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery' team must intentionally develop, test, and release compatibility for new formats and features within their own ecosystem. This process takes time and resources.

AVIF Image Format Support

Current Status: As confirmed in multiple support threads, NextGEN Gallery does not currently have built-in support for importing or managing AVIF image files. The plugin's default supported formats are PNG, JPEG, GIF, and WEBP.

Why It's Not Yet Available: The development team has registered AVIF support as a formal feature request. However, its implementation faces significant technical hurdles. As noted by a team member, adding AVIF support would require:

• A minimum PHP version of 8.1.
• The PHP GD extension to be compiled with AVIF support enabled on the user's web server.
• Overcoming limitations similar to WEBP, such as the inability to use the format with certain print fulfillment services (e.g., WHCC) or to write metadata to dynamically generated images.

Potential Workaround: Until native support is added, users wishing to display AVIF images may need to convert them to a supported format like WEBP or JPEG using a third-party conversion tool before uploading them to a NextGEN gallery.

Video File Support

Current Status: NextGEN Gallery is primarily an image management plugin and does not support adding video files directly into galleries.

Future Possibility: The team has acknowledged this as a potential feature for review, but it is described as a topic for the "far future." There is no active development or timeline for its implementation.

Potential Workaround: A common method to include video in a page with a NextGEN gallery is to embed a video player from a dedicated service like YouTube or Vimeo. You can place the embed code near your gallery using a WordPress block or shortcode.

Other Notable Feature Requests

The threads also highlight another highly requested feature: a one-click "Replace Image" function. This would allow users to swap an image in a gallery while retaining its associated metadata, tags, and gallery placement. The development team has confirmed this feature is not currently in active development and no timeline exists for its release.

How to Stay Updated

For users interested in these features, the best course of action is to monitor the official NextGEN Gallery changelog for future updates. The development team maintains a list of user-submitted feature requests, and community interest can help prioritize which features are developed next.

When exploring new media formats, always remember to check their browser compatibility to ensure your website visitors can view them correctly.