Google Chrome quietly brings back JPEG-XL image support after years away

Google Chrome is set to bring back support for the JPEG-XL image format after a long break. The format once worked in Chrome and its base engine, Chromium, but it was pulled in 2022. At the time, Google said few sites used it and chose to push a rival image type instead. That call left Chrome alone, as other major browsers kept JPEG-XL alive.

The return is real, but quiet. The format is not on by default yet. Users must turn it on through a flags page inside the browser. This shows that Google is still careful, but it also signals a clear shift. The new support uses a safe decoder written in Rust, a choice made to meet strict safety rules. That detail matters, since image files are a common path for bugs and abuse.

The move suggests that earlier claims about low use no longer hold. Over time, more tools, apps, and file flows began to rely on JPEG-XL. Keeping it out became harder to defend, especially as users noticed the gap.

JPEG-XL was made as a true step up from the old JPEG format. The older type still works, but it wastes space by modern needs. JPEG-XL can cut image size by about sixty percent while keeping clear detail. Smaller files mean less data use, faster loads, and lower cost for sites and users.

It also works well with newer screens and color needs. This makes it a good fit for photos that need rich light range and smooth tone. Many image tools now save and read it with ease, which lowers the work needed to use it at scale.

Apple and Mozilla have backed the format in Safari and Firefox for years. With Chrome back on board, all major browsers now line up again. That unity helps site makers trust the format, since they no longer need fallbacks just for one browser.

For most users, the change will feel small at first. Images may load a bit faster and use less data, but there will be no new buttons or alerts. Over time, the gains add up, especially on slow links or capped plans.

There is also a quiet tie to PDF files. A PDF group picked JPEG-XL as a top choice for high light images in PDFs. Chrome has a built in PDF viewer, so missing support created limits. Bringing the format back removes that block.

In the end, this return looks less like a bold turn and more like a needed fix. Chrome is catching up to a choice the wider web already made.