- 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 external browser extensions or plugins
Google has reinstated support for the JPEG XL image format in the open source Chromium code base, reversing a decision 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 comes to the main Chromium branch
The integration went through Chromium’s code review system before being merged into the main branch.
On a technical level, the work connects the JXLImageDecoder to Chromium’s image pipeline.
The implementation includes signature sniffing to correctly identify JPEG XL files, as well as telemetry that measures real-world performance behavior.
Decoding is handled 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 the developers described as manageable.
The decoder is controlled by a build flag enabled by default, allowing testing without requiring manual configuration from end users.
JPEG XL has attracted persistent interest from browser vendors, hardware manufacturers and web platforms.
Proponents argue that the format allows recompression of existing JPEG images without loss of quality while reducing file sizes by approximately 20%, indicating better compression and 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 earlier removal of JPEG XL drew criticism. In 2022, Chrome engineers cited insufficient interest in the ecosystem, limited benefits over existing formats, and maintenance issues.
Participants disputed these claims during lengthy discussions about Chromium bugs, in which representatives from Intel, Adobe, Cloudinary, Meta, Shopify, and media organizations argued otherwise.
Intel engineers, in particular, have described JPEG XL as being particularly suitable for modern photography and webcasting.
Since then, the sector’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 delayed 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, this ensures that JXL images served on websites are correctly recognized and rendered.
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