Google Chrome is enabling JPEG XL by default

Google Chrome is turning JPEG XL support on by default starting in Chrome 155.

Google announced that Chrome 155 will natively decode JPEG XL (.jxl) images. To keep the browser safe, the team rewrote the decoder in pure Rust (jxl-rs) to prevent traditional C++ memory vulnerabilities. The format slashes file sizes by 30% to 50% compared to legacy JPEGs while supporting native HDR, lossless compression, and lossless JPEG transcoding.

Why it matters: Developers and photographers get a modern image format that shrinks file sizes without sacrificing detail. Because it converts standard JPEGs without quality loss, platforms can cut storage and bandwidth costs instantly. Google points to JPEG XL as the top choice for high-fidelity photos and progressive web rendering.

Know this: Google built a custom SIMD abstraction layer in Rust to match C++ speeds without unsafe code. The push came directly from persistent web developer feedback through the Interop project.

Web pages just got lighter, and memory safety won another quiet victory.