Does Chrome 145 Enable JPEG XL by Default in 2026?
No. Chrome 145 includes JPEG XL decoding support, but it is off by default and gated behind a browser flag, and that stayed true through Chrome 154. The version that turned it on is Chrome 155, released on October 6, 2026: it decodes .jxl images by default on every platform Chrome ships on, with no flag. Firefox 158 follows on October 13. A JPEG XL image on a public page still needs an AVIF or WebP fallback while installed browsers catch up, but the format is no longer experimental on the web.
What Chrome 145 actually added
Chrome 145, released on February 10, 2026, re-introduced JPEG XL decoding using jxl-rs - a memory-safe, pure Rust decoder that replaces the C++ libjxl implementation Chrome removed in early 2023. In Chrome 145 to 154 the decoder shipped in the stable codebase but stayed behind a flag. Chrome 155, released on October 6, 2026, is the release that enabled it by default; Google's announcement is at developer.chrome.com/blog/jpeg-xl-in-chrome.
JPEG XL is a next-generation image codec. In plain English: it is a smarter way to compress images, delivering files that Google puts at 30–50% smaller than traditional JPEG at equivalent quality, with lossless compression, lossless recompression of existing JPEGs, progressive decoding, HDR, and animation. Against AVIF the result depends on the image and the quality level, which is why Google's own advice is to try both.
Flag-only, not default
To use JPEG XL in Chrome 145 to 154, a user must navigate to chrome://flags/#enable-jxl-image-format and toggle the feature on manually, and no ordinary user does that. From Chrome 155 there is nothing to toggle. The caveat is rollout: Chrome updates in the background over days to weeks, enterprise fleets pin versions, and Edge, Samsung Internet and the other Chromium browsers ship on their own schedules. On October 7, the day after the release, caniuse still measured global JPEG XL support at about 17%, almost all of it Safari; that number climbs through October and November as Chrome 155 and Firefox 158 reach installed browsers.
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.
Because most users cannot render one, a .jxl that lands in your downloads folder is usually a dead end until you convert it. Our explainer covers what a JXL file is and how to open one on Windows, macOS, and the web.
What this means for web delivery
For production websites, one thing changes: JPEG XL is now a safe first source in a <picture> element, with AVIF, WebP and a JPEG <img> below it. Serving a .jxl file on its own still fails silently for everyone on an older Chrome, on Edge, or in an email client, so the fallback stays. E-commerce teams on Shopify are unaffected either way, because Shopify does not accept JXL uploads.
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 (October 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 | ~17% on Oct 7, rising as Chrome 155 and Firefox 158 roll out | Yes, as the first source in a picture element with AVIF and WebP fallbacks |
The 2026 recommendation
Use JPEG XL where it is strongest: lossless masters, archives of existing JPEGs (the reversible transcode saves about 20% with a byte-exact undo), and high-fidelity photography. For public web delivery, put JXL first in a picture element and keep AVIF, WebP and a JPEG fallback beneath it for the months it takes installed browsers to catch up. When you are ready to start, see converting images to JPEG XL: the practical guide.
For the dated per-browser table (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, Android), the rollout caveats and what to do by stack, read our guide to JPEG XL in Chrome: what changes for your images now.
Mochify compresses and converts images to AVIF, WebP, and JPEG with privacy-first, zero-retention processing - no files stored, no data retained. Try it free at mochify.app.
Off the web, the calculation changes: for screenshots you keep rather than serve, lossless JXL is already the better archive format.
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, the October 2026 browser picture, and how to serve it with picture fallbacks.