Google has released Chrome 145 with official JPEG-XL image format support on February 11, 2026. The update signals renewed interest in advanced image standards and improved browsing efficiency. Chrome 145 is rolling out globally across Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android.
JPEG-XL image compression format provides significantly better compression efficiency compared to traditional JPEG files. It supports advanced features such as high dynamic range (HDR), wide color gamut, lossless compression, and animation.
Its backward compatibility can transcode legacy JPEG images without quality degradation. JPEG-XL positions itself as a flexible, high-quality alternative for both photography-heavy websites and advanced visual applications.
Google is using Rust-based jxl-rs decoder rather than the C++ libjxl library for better memory safety. For the Chrome 145 release, the feature is gated by the enable-jxl-image-format flag.
In 2022, Google removed JPEG-XL image-file support from the Chrome/Chromium browser source code since very few eco-system partners were using it. Industry support and demands for delivering images more efficiently have caused Google to reconsider. Since browsers now require AI-developed visuals, 4K images, and other effective formats, the need for a combination of speed, compression, and quality will likely drive the return of JPEG XL.
Chrome 145 also supports the text-justify CSS property, with column wrapping support in multicol, device-bound session credentials, an SQLite backend for IndexedDB, reduced user-agent strings by default, Upsert, and other enhancements.
JPEG-XL provides developers with additional options for optimizing images. This is expected to reduce loading times and improve SEO performance. Additionally, using less bandwidth will reduce costs for hosting and CDN providers.
With Chrome holding a commanding share of the overall browser market, official support for JPEG-XL will lead to greater adoption across CMSs and other web platforms.
Chrome version 145 will be made available to users all over the world using Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. You won’t need to turn on this feature; it will stay prevalent at the browser level, with the website support depending on how quickly developers begin implementing the format.
Similar to many Chrome updates, there may be slight differences in when it is made available based on what part of the world you are from, given it will be rolled out in phases.
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JPEG-XL's reappearance in Chrome reflects an overall movement towards modern and efficiency-focused web standards. Rich, data-driven digital experiences will require advanced image compression technology to keep pace with both speed and accessibility. The Chrome 145 update is anticipated to increase industry-wide use of this technology, supporting the transition to a period of high-quality images that perform optimally on the web.