- JPEG XL decoding is now part of the main Chromium rendering process
- Rust-based decoding addresses long-standing browser memory safety issues
- JPEG XL support arrives without external browser extensions or plug-ins
Google has restored support for the JPEG XL image format in the open source Chromium codebase, 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 is applied 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 comes to Chromium main branch
The integration went through Chromium’s code review system before being merged into the main branch.
On a technical level, the work connects JXLImageDecoder to the Chromium image pipeline.
The implementation includes signature tracking to correctly identify JPEG XL files, along with telemetry that measures real-world performance behavior.
Decoding is done via jxl-rs, a Rust-based JPEG XL library. The choice of Rust reflects long-standing concerns about memory safety in large multithreaded C++ image decoders.
The inclusion of this library increases Chromium’s binary size by approximately 406 KB, a change that developers have described as manageable.
The decoder is controlled by a build flag that is enabled by default, allowing testing without manual configuration by end users.
JPEG XL has attracted persistent interest from browser vendors, hardware companies, and web platforms.
Supporters argue that the format allows recompression of existing JPEG images without loss of quality while reducing file sizes by about 20%, pointing to better compression and greater bandwidth efficiency for large-scale websites.
The format also supports high dynamic range still images, wide color gamuts, progressive decoding, and lossy and lossless workflows.
Google’s previous withdrawal of JPEG XL drew criticism. In 2022, Chrome engineers cited insufficient interest in the ecosystem, limited benefits compared to existing formats, and maintenance concerns.
Participants disputed those claims in lengthy discussions about Chromium bugs, where representatives from Intel, Adobe, Cloudinary, Meta, Shopify, and media organizations argued otherwise.
Intel engineers, in particular, described JPEG XL as especially suited for modern photography and web delivery.
Since then, the industry’s momentum has continued. Apple added support for Safari via WebKit, Microsoft included JPEG XL in Windows 11, and standards bodies expanded formal specifications.
Google’s renewed acceptance of JPEG XL seems less like a sudden change and more like a long-overdue alignment with broader adoption of the platform.
From a user perspective, this change means that Chromium-based browsers can now natively display JPEG XL images without additional plugins or extensions.
For developers, it ensures that JXL images published on websites are recognized and rendered correctly.
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