Sample Files
Details
WBMP
Wireless Application Protocol Bitmap Format
About
What is .WBMP?
.wbmp (Wireless Bitmap) is a monochrome image format created for early mobile devices using the WAP standard. It stores 1-bit images—black or white—with no color, compression, or metadata, making it extremely lightweight.
History
Origin of WBMP
The (Wireless Bitmap) format was introduced as part of the early mobile internet standard known as WAP (Wireless Application Protocol). Defined by the WAP Forum in the late 1990s, WBMP was designed for monochrome, low-resolution screens found on first-generation mobile devices. As a 1-bit-per-pixel bitmap, WBMP offered extremely small file sizes optimized for limited bandwidth and slow wireless networks. Although the format became obsolete with the rise of smartphones and richer image formats, WBMP remains documented historically in WAP specifications.
Learn more at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_Bitmap
Benefits
Extremely small file sizes due to 1-bit color depth
Very fast to load on limited-bandwidth mobile networks
Simple structure makes it easy to decode or generate
Useful for legacy mobile systems or embedded displays
Usage
Open `.wbmp` files using image editors that support legacy formats (e.g., GIMP, ImageMagick)
Convert WBMP to PNG, BMP, or JPEG for viewing on modern systems
Use WBMP for simulations of early mobile UI designs
Generate minimalistic black-and-white icons for embedded use cases
Use Cases
Common Use Cases
Here are the use cases for this file extension
Early Mobile Web Graphics
Used for icons and simple images on early WAP-enabled phones.
Low-Resolution Displays
Suitable for black-and-white embedded screens in legacy devices.
Bandwidth-Constrained Applications
Designed specifically for environments where file size had to be minimal.
Compatibility
Supported By
This extension is compatible with the following platforms.
Windows (via imaging tools)
macOS (with third-party apps)
Linux (ImageMagick, GIMP)
Android (limited viewer support)
iOS (requires conversion)
Legacy Mobile Browsers (WAP)
More Details
Technical Specs
Here are some technical details about this extension
File Extension
.wbmp
MIME Type
image/vnd.wap.wbmp
Color Depth
1-bit per pixel (black/white only)
Compression
None (raw bitmap format)
Metadata Support
No
Typical Use
WAP mobile graphics, icons, monochrome displays
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Got Questions?
Get answers to common questions
WBMP was designed for early mobile devices that had monochrome displays and very limited processing power.
WBMP is largely obsolete. Modern devices use formats like PNG, JPEG, WebP, and SVG. WBMP survives mainly in legacy systems and historical documentation.
Tools such as ImageMagick or GIMP can convert files to PNG, BMP, or other common formats.