JPEG XL Browser Support Shifts as Safari Leads, Chrome Reconsiders Removal

A technical demonstration page reveals JPEG XL image rendering capabilities in modern browsers, with Apple's Safari currently being the only major browser to display the format without plugins. The test image features Jon Sneyers, co-author of the JPEG XL specification and creator of its predecessor, the Free Lossless Image Format (FLIF).

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JPEG XL's technical merits include efficient lossless recompression of existing JPEGs, progressive decoding, and support for HDR/wide color gamut. Despite these advantages, adoption faced hurdles when Google Chrome initially implemented then removed support in 2022. Chrome engineers cited insufficient ecosystem adoption as justification - a circular argument given that browser support is prerequisite for widespread format adoption.

Recent developments indicate a reversal: Chromium developers have restarted work on JPEG XL implementation. This follows sustained advocacy from the imaging community highlighting JPEG XL's 20-30% improved compression efficiency over legacy JPEG at equivalent quality, lossless transcoding capabilities, and alpha channel support - features particularly valuable for web developers and content platforms.

Technical limitations remain: Hardware acceleration lags behind established formats, and the chicken-and-egg problem of content creation tools versus browser support persists. Industry observers note that JPEG XL's fate now hinges on whether content platforms begin implementing the format during Chrome's re-integration phase, avoiding the previous trap where lack of browser support became justification for removing it. The format's future now depends on coordinated adoption between tooling vendors, content platforms, and browser developers.