Google Chrome once again supports the JPEG XL format, the successor to JPEG, but it still needs to be activated manually.
Google has once again integrated JPEG XL support into the Chromium browser engine, Neowin writes. This marks the return of the image format as a native option in Chrome-like browsers for the first time since 2022. The implementation is based on jxl-rs, a new decoder written in the Rust programming language.
Still needs to be activated manually
Support is not enabled by default for the time being. Users must activate the option manually. However, this is the first time since Chrome 110 that JPEG XL is immediately available again. Other browsers are also switching to support: Firefox also requires manual activation, while Safari only offers partial support.
Why JPEG XL?
JPEG XL is intended as the successor to the classic JPEG format. It can make images up to 60 percent smaller without visible loss of quality and is also quick to decode. Nevertheless, Google scrapped experimental support in 2022 due to limited adoption and because the company preferred to promote the AVIF format, which Google co-developed.
The reintroduction is no coincidence. Apple and Mozilla have been using JPEG XL for a while, so Chrome was lagging behind. In addition, the PDF Association declared the format the preferred option for HDR images in PDFs by the end of 2025. Developers also indicated in surveys that the lack of JPEG XL was a major pain point.