Does Chrome 145 Enable JPEG XL by Default in 2026?
Chrome 145 includes JPEG XL decoding support, but the Chrome 145 JPEG XL default is off. The feature is gated behind a browser flag, meaning the vast majority of Chrome users cannot render .jxl images without manually toggling a setting. Do not serve JPEG XL as your primary image format for public-facing websites yet.
What Chrome 145 actually added
Chrome 145, released on 10 February 2026, re-introduced JPEG XL decoding using jxl-rs - a memory-safe, pure Rust decoder. This replaces the C++ libjxl implementation that Google removed in 2022. The decoder is present in the stable codebase for the first time in over three years.
JPEG XL is a next-generation image codec. In plain English: it is a smarter way to compress images, delivering files 50–60% smaller than traditional JPEG at equivalent quality, and roughly 10–15% better compression than AVIF. It also supports lossless recompression of existing JPEGs, progressive decoding, HDR, and animation.
Flag-only, not default
To use JPEG XL in Chrome 145, a user must navigate to chrome://flags/#enable-jxl-image-format and toggle the feature on manually. No ordinary user does this. As of early 2026, JPEG XL has roughly 12–17% browser support globally, concentrated in Safari on macOS and iOS. Chrome and Firefox both require a manual opt-in.
Google has set explicit conditions for enabling the feature by default: a long-term maintenance commitment and meeting standard Chrome launch criteria. Neither has been publicly confirmed as met.
What this means for web delivery
For production websites, nothing changes yet. Serving a .jxl file without a <picture> fallback will fail silently for the majority of visitors. E-commerce teams should treat JPEG XL as experimental, not a deployment target.
AVIF remains the best choice for maximum compression on public sites. WebP covers broader compatibility. JPEG encoded with Jpegli handles legacy browsers and email clients.
| Format | Global support (early 2026) | Recommended for production? |
|---|---|---|
| AVIF | ~93% | Yes - best compression with broad support |
| WebP | ~97% | Yes - widest compatibility |
| Jpegli (JPEG) | Universal | Yes - best fallback for legacy browsers |
| JPEG XL | ~12–17% | Not yet - flag-gated in Chrome and Firefox |
The 2026 recommendation
Use JPEG XL in controlled workflows - archiving, internal tools, or future-proofing your image library. For any public-facing web delivery, stick with AVIF or WebP and keep a JPEG fallback. Revisit JPEG XL for production use in late 2026 if Chrome ships it enabled by default in a stable release. When you are ready to start, see converting images to JPEG XL: the practical guide.
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Related Guides
- The 2026 Guide to Next-Gen Formats: WebP, AVIF, and JPEG XL Which next-gen format should you actually use? A practical comparison of WebP, AVIF, and JPEG XL for the web in 2026.
- Jpegli Guide 2026: Why Jpegli Changes the Quality-Per-Byte Game A deep dive into how Jpegli achieves 35% better compression than standard JPEG at equivalent visual quality.
- The History of Image Compression: From BMP to AVIF & Jpegli Trace the evolution of image formats from BMP to AVIF and Jpegli, and what it means for web performance in 2026.
- Converting Images to JPEG XL: The Practical Guide for 2026 Every conversion path to JXL, honest browser support, and how to serve it with picture fallbacks.