JPEG XL is back in Chrome: should you care yet

Here's a format drama most people missed. Google killed JPEG XL support in Chrome a few years back, then brought it back. Firefox followed. Now JPEG XL is shipping in the two biggest browsers, and photographers are paying attention.

Should you be converting your images to it? Probably not yet. But it's worth knowing what's coming.

What JPEG XL actually does

JPEG XL is a proper successor to JPEG. It compresses better than WebP, supports HDR and wide-gamut color, and (unlike the old JPEG) handles transparency. One format that covers photos, graphics, and high-end color work.

The measured numbers are solid. In 2026 tests, JPEG XL encoded a 1280x800 photo in about 190-230 milliseconds versus 237-293 for AVIF, and the files came out smaller. Faster to encode and smaller files is a rare combination.

The catch

Old software is the catch, same as every new format. JPEG XL support in desktop apps and phones is thin. Apple's ecosystem basically ignores it. If you convert your photo library to JPEG XL today, you'll spend your weekends converting files back for every app that can't read them.

Google Images doesn't index JPEG XL either, as of its last update. If you run a website, your images need a JPG or AVIF in the plain img tag or they won't show up in image search.

What I'd do in 2026

Keep shipping AVIF with a WebP or JPG fallback. That's the setup that works everywhere today. Watch JPEG XL the way you'd watch a stock you might buy: interesting, improving, not ready for your money yet.

And keep a free converter bookmarked. Jiggle X Wiggle converts between all the current formats, and when JPEG XL goes mainstream, the same one-file-dropped-in routine will cover it.

The other thing to watch is AV2, the codec announced in late 2025 that will eventually follow AVIF. That's a 2028 story at the earliest, so don't let it freeze any decision you make today.

Practical tip: if you want to experiment with JPEG XL, convert copies, not originals. Keep your JPGs and PNGs as the masters until the format has another year of software support behind it.