JPEG XL Re-Enabled in Chrome: A New Chapter in Web Image Format Wars

JPEG XL decoding is now part of Chromium’s core rendering pipeline Rust-based decoding addresses long-standing browser memory safety concerns JPEG XL support arrives without extensions or external browser plugins Google has reinstated support for the JPEG XL image format in the open source Chromium code base, reversing a decision it made in 2022 to remove it. The update allows Chromium to recognize, decode, and render JPEG XL images directly, without extensions or external components. This change applies at the browser engine level, meaning it will affect future versions of Google Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers when they are released. JPEG XL support lands in Chromium’s main branch The integration went through Chromium’s code review system before being merged into the main branch. At a technical level, the work connects the JXLImageDecoder to Chromium’s image pipeline. The implementation includes signature sniffing to correctly identify JPEG XL files, alongside telemetry that measures real-world performance behavior. Decoding is handled through jxl-rs, a Rust-based JPEG XL library. The choice of Rust reflects long-standing concerns around memory safety in large multithreaded C++ image decoders. Including this library increases Chromium’s binary size by roughly 406KiB, a change developers have described as manageable. The decoder is controlled by a build flag that is enabled by default, allowing testing without requiring manual configuration from end users. JPEG XL has attracted persistent interest from browser vendors, hardware companies, and web platforms. Supporters argue the format allows recompression of existing JPEG images without quality loss while reducing file sizes by around 20%, which points to better compression and improved bandwidth efficiency for large-scale websites. The format also supports high dynamic range still images, wide color gamuts, progressive decoding, and both lossy and lossless workflows. Google’s earlier withdrawal from JPEG XL drew criticism. In 2022, Chrome engineers cited insufficient ecosystem interest, limited benefits compared to existing formats, and maintenance concerns. Participants disputed those claims in lengthy Chromium bug discussions, where representatives from Intel, Adobe, Cloudinary, Meta, Shopify, and media organizations argued the opposite. Intel engineers, in particular, described JPEG XL as uniquely suited for modern photography and web delivery. Since then, industry momentum has continued. Apple added support to Safari through WebKit, Microsoft included JPEG XL in Windows 11, and standards bodies expanded formal specifications. Google’s renewed acceptance of JPEG XL appears less like a sudden shift and more like delayed alignment with broader platform adoption. From a user perspective, this change means Chromium-based browsers can now natively display JPEG XL images without additional plugins or extensions. For developers, it ensures that JXL images served on websites are correctly recognized and rendered. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!