JPEG XL Is Back in Chrome: What It Means and How to Open JXL Files

Chrome can show JPEG XL images again, three years after Google pulled the format, and most people only need to let Chrome update.

Google confirmed the change in a Chrome developer blog post on 6 October, the same day Chrome 155 started rolling out for Windows, Mac and Linux.

JPEG XL, or JXL for short, is a newer image format that makes photos smaller than JPEG without making them look worse.

Chrome dropped it in early 2023, saying there was not enough interest, so this is a rare U-turn.

What Changes for You

• Websites just work. Pages that serve JPEG XL pictures now show them in Chrome, instead of a fallback image or a broken picture icon.
• Local files open too. Drag a .jxl file from your computer into a Chrome tab and it displays like any JPG.
• Nothing to install. Open the Chrome menu, choose Help, then About Google Chrome, and let it update to version 155 or newer.
• Viewing only. Chrome displays JPEG XL images but cannot save or convert pictures into the format.

Why JPEG XL Matters

• Smaller photos. Google says JPEG XL compresses 30 to 50 percent better than JPEG, which means faster pages and less mobile data.
• Free space from old JPEGs. Existing JPEG photos can be repacked into smaller JXL files with no loss in quality, and turned back into the exact original later.
• HDR and lossless in one format. It handles bright HDR photos and pixel-perfect lossless images, plus simple animations.
• Fast previews. A rough version of the picture appears almost at once and sharpens as the rest downloads.

Why Chrome Changed Its Mind

Web developers kept asking for it. JPEG XL was one of the most popular requests in the Interop project, where browser makers agree each year on which features to fix together.

Chrome also uses a new decoder, jxl-rs, written in Rust - a programming language designed to block the memory errors behind many security holes. That matters, because image decoders are a favourite target for attackers, as the 2023 WebP image bug showed.

Google says testing, including automated attack testing and AI code review, has found no memory-safety bugs in the decoder so far.

Which Browsers Show JPEG XL Now?

Firefox is close behind. Mozilla announced it would switch JPEG XL on for everyone, but it did not make the Firefox 157 release on 29 September.

What Readers Are Saying

The Hacker News discussion was mostly welcoming, with a few long memories. One developer who maintains an image library said years of format fights had been exhausting, and hoped cameras would start saving JPEG XL next.

The liveliest argument was JPEG XL against AVIF. Some readers find AVIF better for tiny, heavily compressed pictures, while others said JPEG XL beat it even on small thumbnails.

Google's own advice sits in the middle: try both, and expect JPEG XL to win on high-quality and lossless photos. The bigger worry in the thread was everything outside the browser, with readers listing apps and phones that still choke on newer formats like WebP and HEIC.

How to Open JXL Files on Windows

Outside the browser, Windows still needs a little help with .jxl files:

• Windows 11 24H2 or newer: install the free JPEG XL Image Extension from Microsoft for thumbnails in File Explorer and support in Photos.
• Windows 10 or older Windows 11: JXL WinThumb adds thumbnails and lets Paint and Photos open the files.
• To make or convert JXL files: XL Converter batch-converts pictures to JPEG XL, or turns them into ordinary JPGs.

For every option, including standalone viewers, see our guide on how to view JPEG XL files on Windows.

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