Main points
- Google Chrome is introducing native lazy loading support for video and audio, which will allow them to load only when the user actually scrolls to them.
- This update will help render pages faster and improve interaction with other optimization mechanisms, ensuring smoother site performance.
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Google Chrome is getting an update that could significantly speed up page loading. It's a new implementation of lazy loading for video and audio without complicated workarounds.
Chromium -based browsers, including Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Vivaldi , have long used lazy loading. However, until now, it only fully worked for images and iframes, leaving video and audio out of system optimization. Digitaltrends writes about this.
How will the new approach to loading change the way websites work?
A new initiative is changing that. Thanks to a proposal from developer Helmut Januschka , browsers will get native support for lazy loading for multimedia elements. This means that video and audio will only load when the user actually scrolls to them.
Typically, when you open a page, the browser tries to load all the content at once – from images to videos, ads and other elements. This creates additional load and slows down the work. Lazy loading allows you to avoid this by delaying the loading of elements that are not in the visible part of the screen.
Previously, sites have used a similar approach for video and audio, but through JavaScript. For example, they used the Intersection Observer mechanism, which monitors the appearance of elements in the visible area. However, this method is more complex, less stable, and does not always work effectively with internal browser optimizations.
The new solution is much simpler: just add the HTML attribute loading=”lazy” directly to the video or audio. In this case, the browser itself takes over the management of the loading.
This has several advantages. The browser can optimize the process based on the speed of the Internet , avoid unnecessary delays due to JavaScript execution, and interact better with other optimization mechanisms. As a result, pages open faster and run smoother.
In addition, the new feature makes the behavior of multimedia elements consistent with images and iframes, which simplifies development and increases the predictability of site operation.
This feature has been in development for several years, with it being rolled out in early 2026 , integrated into test builds in February, and entering final release in March. Recent code changes indicate that the feature could be enabled by default in stable releases, including Chrome 148.
As a result, even a small technical update can significantly impact the everyday experience of using the Internet, making it faster and more efficient.