JPEG XL returns to Chrome and Firefox - what changes for your images
Chrome 145 and Firefox 152 both restored JPEG XL (JXL) decoding in 2026, three years after Chrome dropped the format. Both browsers still keep it switched off behind an experimental flag, and only Safari opens JXL out of the box. So you cannot publish JXL-only images yet - keep JPG, WebP, or AVIF as the format you actually deliver.
Last reviewed: 2026-07-08
What happened
Google removed JPEG XL support from Chrome on October 30, 2022, citing low interest - stalling Firefox's plans too. In late 2025 the Chrome team reversed course and accepted a memory-safe decoder; in January 2026 JPEG XL decoding was merged into Chromium using jxl-rs, a decoder written in Rust. Chrome 145, released in February 2026, ships that decoder behind the chrome://flags/#enable-jxl-image-format flag. Mozilla followed the same path: Firefox 152, released June 16, 2026, includes JPEG XL support, also disabled by default behind a preference.
The current support picture, checked against the caniuse browser tables on July 8, 2026:
| Browser | JPEG XL status | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Safari (macOS and iOS) | Partial support, on by default | Version 17 (2023) |
| Chrome | Behind an experimental flag | Version 145 (February 2026) |
| Firefox | Behind a preference | Version 152 (June 2026) |
| Edge and Opera | Off by default (follow Chromium) | - |
The practical ceiling: browsers that decode JXL without user action cover roughly 14 percent of visitors today. That number jumps only once Chrome flips the flag on by default, expected in the second half of 2026 but not yet live.
Why JPEG XL matters for everyday files
JPEG XL compresses photos smaller than JPG at the same visual quality, supports transparency and HDR, and - uniquely among the modern formats - can recompress an existing JPG losslessly, byte-for-byte reversible, at a smaller size. That fits the billions of JPG photos already in archives: convert to JXL for storage, convert back to the identical JPG whenever needed. AVIF and WebP cannot do that reversible round trip; re-encoding into them always re-processes the pixels.
What to do with your files right now
The safe playbook while JXL stays behind flags:
- Keep delivering universal formats. A photo published only as JXL will not display for most visitors. For sharing and web use, convert camera formats to JPG with the HEIC to JPG converter, or pick between JPG and WebP using the format comparison guide.
- Shrink files with formats every browser opens. If the goal is a smaller upload or a faster page, the image compressor gets you there today without waiting for JXL adoption.
- Test JXL only behind the flag. On Chrome 145+, enable
chrome://flags/#enable-jxl-image-format; on Firefox 152+, use the setting below. Treat it as a preview, not a deploy target. - Hold archives, watch the default. The lossless JPG-to-JXL round trip is a genuine archival option once support is broad. Until then, keep master copies in their current format.
Update 2026-07-08: Mozilla's Firefox 152 release notes name an easier path than about:config: open Settings, then Firefox Labs, and turn on the JPEG XL experiment there. The about:config toggle still works too.