Google is set to transform the browsing experience with the upcoming release of Chrome 148. This browser includes a highly anticipated new feature: native lazy loading for videos and audio files, promising a notable acceleration of the web.
Key takeaways
- Chrome 148 introduces native lazy loading for videos and audios, simplifying the process for developers.
- A simple “loading=lazy” attribute in the HTML code now allows this feature to be activated without JavaScript.
- All Chromium-based browsers, such as Edge and Opera, will benefit from this improvement.
Lazy loading: an advancement for videos and audios
“Lazy loading” is no longer limited to images and iframes. With Chrome 148, Google extends this feature to videos and audio files. Before this update, developers had to resort to JavaScript and the “Intersection Observer” API to apply this process, adding complexity to web development.
Now, a simple HTML attribute “loading=lazy” allows the browser to delay loading videos and audios until they are needed. This simplification promises performance gains, especially on mobile networks.
An initiative from the open source community
This innovation does not come directly from Google. It is thanks to Helmut Januschka, an independent developer, that this proposal was submitted to the Chromium engine. This open source platform, which serves as the basis for several browsers like Edge, Brave, and Vivaldi, will allow them to adopt this feature without additional development.
The open source community thus continues to play a crucial role in the evolution of web technologies, providing practical and effective solutions.
Impact on online media sites
Online media sites, often rich in video content, will be among the main beneficiaries of this improvement. Those not already having lazy loading via JavaScript will see their performance optimized, with pages opening faster and reduced data consumption.
However, as long as Firefox and Safari do not follow this path, developers will need to continue using JavaScript libraries to ensure maximum compatibility.
The next steps in web optimization: the role of Progressive Web Apps
Alongside these advances, Progressive Web Apps (PWA) continue to revolutionize the web by offering smooth and efficient user experiences. These applications, which combine the best of websites and mobile apps, allow access to offline features, send push notifications, and integrate more closely with the user’s environment. As browsers evolve to support new features, PWAs will play a central role in the digital transformation of online services.