If you’ve ever opened a web page and wondered why it takes a second too long to load, especially when it’s full of videos and media, this upcoming change may finally fix that. For years, Chromium-based browsers – including Microsoft Edge and Vivaldi – have supported lazy loading. But only pictures and frames. That’s not the case with video and audio. But that is about to change. Thanks to a suggestion by independent developer Helmut Januschka, Chromium-based browsers are getting ready to support native lazy loading of video and audio features. And while it sounds like a technical footnote, it can make browsing a lot easier.
What exactly is lazy loading (and why it matters)
Usually, when you open a web page, your browser goes into overdrive trying to load everything at once: images, videos, audio, ads, the whole buffet. Unsurprisingly, that’s not good for speed. Lazy loading takes a smart approach. Instead of pulling everything up front, the browser waits and loads content only when you’re about to see it. So if a video or image sits further down on the page, it won’t load until you scroll past it, and if you never get there, it might not load at all. The result is faster page loading, lower data usage, and a smoother browsing experience.
This is where it gets interesting. Websites already use lazy loading for video and audio, but rely heavily on JavaScript workarounds to implement it. It gets the job done, but it’s far from perfect. Developers often use tools like Intersection Observer to detect when media enters the viewport and trigger manual loading. It’s a bit clunky, prone to bugs, and doesn’t always play well with the browser’s built-in settings. Januschka’s proposal aims to clean this up. Instead of all that extra writing, developers can just add a native HTML attribute loading="lazy" directly to the video and audio elements, making the whole process much easier.
Why native support is a big deal
When the browser takes over the task of lazy loading, it simply does a better job:
- It can load media based on your network conditions.
- Skip the extra lag caused by running JavaScript first.
- It works hand in hand with preload scanners and built-in optimization.
- It keeps the overall page loading smooth instead of getting in the way.
Simply put, it’s cleaner, faster and more efficient. As Januschka highlighted, this also streamlines video and audio and how images and iframes already behave, leading to a consistent and predictable experience across the web. This feature has been running on the Chromium pipeline:
- It was first used in January
- Entered buildings February
- You have entered the posting section March
Now, a recent code change suggests that it may be enabled automatically in stable builds. If things go as expected, it could come out with Chrome 148.
