4 file types use the .lif file extension.

What is a LIF file?

Container format used by LEGO Digital Designer (LDD), a program used for constructing 3D models with digital LEGO parts; saved in the program installation directory and contains program assets such as bricks and other 3D model parts; uses a proprietary binary format.

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Category: Data Files

Leica Image File

Image file created by a Leica microscopy instrumentation device and the integrated Leica desktop software; may contain multiple images taken in succession; used for storing highly magnified images of biological specimens, which can be called photomicrographs.

Programs that open LIF files

Updated: July 21, 2011

TurboTax Information Archive

A LIF file may also be a data archive created by older versions of TurboTax, a popular tax preparation program developed by Intuit. It stores compressed tax-related data and application files that TurboTax references internally to organize user information. LIF files were primarily used to back up and transfer tax data between different legacy editions of TurboTax.

TurboTax is a widely used tax preparation software developed by Intuit that helps individuals and small businesses file federal and state tax returns. While legacy editions of TurboTax supported LIF files, modern versions do not. Because of this, LIF files are considered obsolete and are typically only found in archived tax records or backups from older systems.

You can open LIF files with older desktop versions of Intuit TurboTax. Modern versions of TurboTax do not support LIF files.

Programs that open LIF files

Updated: May 9, 2025

Life 1.05/1.06 Pattern

A LIF file may also be a pattern file saved in the Life 1.05 or Life 1.06 format, which are early text-based formats for Conway's Game of Life . It stores the arrangement of live cells in a simple, readable structure that describes which cells should appear when the simulation starts. Since LIF files are saved in plain text, they are small, easy to share, and compatible with many early Life programs.

Early Life software, including Alan Hensel's DOS implementations, created Life 1.05/1.06 files for use with Conway's Game of Life , a cellular automaton in which patterns evolve according to simple rules. Hensel's programs allowed users to run simulations and save patterns in these formats, helping establish Life 1.05 and 1.06 as common ways to store and share patterns.

Life 1.05/1.06 files have largely been superseded by newer formats such as .RLE and Macrocell ( .MC ). These formats compress patterns more efficiently and can handle larger grids, making them better suited for modern Life simulators. Despite this, hobbyists, researchers, and preservationists still use these formats to work with older Life collections or to manually edit patterns.

You can open LIF files with Golly, an open source app for exploring Conway’s Game of Life . Some Conway’s Game of Life simulators may also support the 1.05/1.06 format.

You can also view or edit LIF files with any standard text editor, such as Microsoft Notepad or Apple TextEdit . However, a Life simulator is required to display or run the pattern.

Programs that open LIF files

Updated: December 2, 2025