Google Brings Back JPEG-XL Support to Chrome After 3-Year Absence

In a surprising twist that’s sending shockwaves through the web development community, Google has announced that JPEG-XL image support is making its triumphant return to Chrome after being abruptly removed three years ago. The tech giant’s latest Chrome 145 stable release, which began rolling out across Windows, macOS, and Linux systems today, marks a significant U-turn in Google’s image format strategy.

The JPEG-XL Saga: A Brief History

Back in 2022, Google made the controversial decision to deprecate and subsequently remove JPEG-XL support from the Chrome and Chromium browser codebase. This move sparked heated debates within the developer community, with many questioning Google’s commitment to open web standards and efficient image compression technologies.

JPEG-XL, developed by the Joint Photographic Experts Group, promised to revolutionize web imagery with its superior compression capabilities, lossless and lossy compression options, and impressive support for wide color gamuts and high dynamic range (HDR) content. The format was designed to be a modern successor to traditional JPEG, offering better quality at smaller file sizes.

The Comeback: Chrome 145 Arrives with JPEG-XL Support

Fast forward to 2026, and Google has executed a complete 180-degree turn. Last month, we reported on the successful merging of JPEG-XL decoding capabilities back into the Chromium and Chrome codebase. Now, with the release of Chrome 145, this highly anticipated feature has officially landed in the stable channel.

What makes this return particularly noteworthy is Google’s approach to implementation. Instead of reverting to the previous C++ libjxl library, the company has opted for a Rust-based jxl-rs decoder. This decision underscores Google’s growing commitment to memory safety and security in its core technologies.

Technical Deep Dive: The Rust Advantage

The choice of Rust for JPEG-XL decoding is significant for several reasons. Rust has gained immense popularity in recent years due to its focus on memory safety without sacrificing performance. By adopting the jxl-rs decoder, Google is not only bringing back JPEG-XL support but also demonstrating its confidence in Rust as a language for critical browser components.

Memory safety has become an increasingly important concern in software development, especially for widely-used applications like web browsers. The Rust ecosystem’s emphasis on preventing common programming errors that lead to security vulnerabilities makes it an ideal choice for handling image decoding, a process that can be exploited if not implemented securely.

Feature Flag Implementation

For now, JPEG-XL support in Chrome 145 is gated behind the enable-jxl-image-format flag. This approach allows Google to test the feature with early adopters and gather feedback before enabling it by default in future releases. Users interested in trying out JPEG-XL support can access this feature by navigating to chrome://flags in their browser and enabling the corresponding option.

Beyond JPEG-XL: Chrome 145’s Other Enhancements

While the return of JPEG-XL support steals the spotlight, Chrome 145 brings several other notable improvements to the table:

1. Text-Justify CSS Property: Enhanced text alignment capabilities for web developers, providing more control over text justification.

2. Column Wrapping in Multicol: Improved support for multi-column layouts, allowing for more sophisticated and responsive web designs.

3. Device Bound Session Credentials: Enhanced security features for managing user sessions across devices.

4. SQLite Backend for IndexedDB: Performance improvements for web applications that rely heavily on client-side storage.

5. Reduced User-Agent Strings: A step towards more privacy-friendly browsing by minimizing the information exposed in user-agent strings.

6. Upsert Support: Enhanced database operations for web applications, streamlining data manipulation tasks.

The Broader Implications

Google’s decision to bring back JPEG-XL support raises interesting questions about the future of web image formats. With the ongoing competition between JPEG-XL, WebP, and the newer AVIF format, browser vendors play a crucial role in determining which formats gain widespread adoption.

The return of JPEG-XL to Chrome could potentially reinvigorate interest in the format, especially given its unique advantages in terms of compression efficiency and feature set. This move might also influence other browser vendors to reconsider their stance on JPEG-XL support.

Developer and User Impact

For web developers, the return of JPEG-XL support means more options when optimizing images for the web. The format’s ability to provide high-quality images at smaller file sizes could lead to faster-loading websites and improved user experiences, particularly for mobile users on slower connections.

Users, on the other hand, may not notice immediate changes but could benefit from the improved compression efficiency in terms of reduced data usage and potentially faster page load times on supported websites.

Looking Ahead

As Chrome 145 begins its rollout to users worldwide, the web development community will be watching closely to see how JPEG-XL adoption evolves. Will this be the format’s chance to shine, or will it face an uphill battle against established alternatives?

Google’s willingness to reverse its previous decision and invest in JPEG-XL support demonstrates the dynamic nature of web standards and the importance of listening to developer feedback. It also highlights the ongoing balance between innovation and stability in browser development.

Conclusion

The return of JPEG-XL support to Chrome marks a significant moment in the ongoing evolution of web technologies. As Chrome 145 makes its way to users’ devices, it brings with it not just a revived image format but also a host of other improvements that collectively enhance the web browsing experience.

Whether you’re a developer looking to optimize your website’s performance or a user interested in the latest web technologies, Chrome 145’s release is certainly worth paying attention to. The web’s image format landscape may be about to get a lot more interesting.

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