- JPEG XL decoding is now part of Chromium’s core rendering pipeline
- Rust-based decoding addresses long-standing browser memory security issues
- JPEG XL support comes without extensions or external browser plugins
Google has reinstated 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 enables Chromium to recognize, decode and render JPEG XL images directly without any 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 lands in Chromium’s main branch
The integration went through Chromium’s code review system before being merged into the master branch.
On a technical level, the work connects JXLImageDecoder to Chromium’s image pipeline.
The implementation includes signature sniffing to correctly identify JPEG XL files, along with telemetry that measures real-world performance.
Decoding is handled through 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.
Including this library increases Chromium’s binary size by approx. 406KiB, a change that developers have described as manageable.
The decoder is controlled by a build flag that is enabled by default, allowing testing without requiring manual configuration from end users.
JPEG XL has attracted sustained interest from browser vendors, hardware companies, and web platforms.
Proponents claim that the format allows recompression of existing JPEG images without quality loss, while reducing file sizes by about 20%, indicating better compression and improved bandwidth efficiency for large websites.
The format also supports still images with high dynamic range, wide color gamuts, progressive decoding, and both lossy and lossless workflows.
Google’s earlier withdrawal from JPEG XL drew criticism. In 2022, Chrome engineers cited insufficient ecosystem interest, limited benefits compared to existing formats, and maintenance issues.
Participants contested these claims in lengthy Chromium bug discussions, where representatives from Intel, Adobe, Cloudinary, Meta, Shopify, and media organizations argued to the contrary.
In particular, Intel engineers described JPEG XL as uniquely suited to modern photography and web delivery.
Since then, the industry’s momentum has continued. Apple added support for Safari through WebKit, Microsoft included JPEG XL in Windows 11, and standards bodies expanded the formal specifications.
Google’s renewed acceptance of JPEG XL looks less like a sudden shift and more like delayed adaptation with broader platform adoption.
From a user perspective, this change means that Chromium-based browsers can now display JPEG XL images natively without additional plugins or extensions.
For developers, it ensures that JXL images displayed on websites are recognized and rendered correctly.
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