Every second a web page takes to load, millions of users quietly give up. Google knows this better than anyone. That is why its latest move inside Chrome 148 is turning heads. The browser giant is now testing a game-changing update that could make even the most media-heavy websites feel noticeably faster. And it is closer to reaching your device than you might think.
What Is Lazy Loading and Why Does It Matter
Lazy loading is a feature that delays the loading of non-critical, off-screen resources until they are actually needed.1 Think of it like a smart waiter who only brings dishes to your table as you are ready to eat them, rather than piling everything up at once the moment you sit down.
Right now, Chrome loads everything on a page at once, whether you are going to scroll down to it or not.2 That is a lot of wasted time and data, especially on pages stuffed with videos and audio clips. Users end up staring at loading spinners for content they may never even see.
Chrome and Chromium-based browsers have had built-in lazy loading support for images and iframes since 2019.3 That was a solid step forward. But it left one big gap wide open.
Google Chrome 148 lazy loading video audio performance update
Chrome 148 Fills the Long-Standing Gap
Chrome has supported native lazy loading for images and iframes for years, but video and audio elements have always loaded immediately on page open, regardless of whether a user ever scrolls to them.4
With the new Chrome 148, Google is extending this feature to include audio and video elements. This addition means media files that are not immediately visible on the screen will not load until the user scrolls to them.5
This is the first time Chrome will natively handle lazy loading for video and audio, closing a gap that has existed for over six years.
The technical backbone of this update is also worth noting. The implementation, authored by independent Chromium contributor Helmut Januschka, was merged into Chromium on February 20, 2026, and entered the shipping process at the end of March.4 Chrome 148 will natively support lazy loading for video and audio tags. This means developers will be able to implement this optimization with a simple HTML attribute, loading=”lazy”, directly on these media elements.6
This approach is more efficient than relying on custom JavaScript solutions, as it integrates seamlessly with the browser’s built-in preload scanner.6
What You Will Actually Feel as a User
Here is the real-world impact this update brings to everyday browsing:
- Faster page load times: Pages will feel usable sooner. Right now, Chrome cannot mark a page as fully loaded until it has fetched video content you may never even scroll to. Remove that, and the browser stops wasting time and data on media sitting at the bottom of the page.2
- Less data usage: This feature defers the loading of video and audio resources to speed up page performance and reduce data usage.1
- Zero setup needed: The feature will be on by default for all users across desktop, Android, and iOS, so there is nothing to configure.2
- Wider reach: The change also extends to other Chromium-based browsers. Edge, Vivaldi, and Brave will all pick this up automatically since they share the same underlying engine.2
This update targets video and audio elements that sit directly in a page’s code, which is common on news sites, blogs, and media-heavy articles.2 So if you spend time reading long news features or entertainment websites packed with clips, this one is for you.
One Thing to Keep in Mind
Not every website will instantly feel the difference. Chrome will not retroactively apply lazy loading across the entire web. Sites that have not adopted it will not feel any different. But for pages that do support it, the improvement should be noticeable.2
Also, if you were hoping YouTube would suddenly feel snappier, that benefit is already baked in. Lazy loading is already in effect for YouTube videos, since they are embedded using iframes.1
The broader web standards community is also paying close attention. The WHATWG standards thread has received positive signals from Gecko, WebKit, and Chromium, with at least one reviewer describing the spec as ready for final standardization.4 As of this week, Firefox’s implementation is in active review and WebKit’s is prepared but not formally submitted.4 That means this could eventually become a universal web standard across all major browsers.
When Is Chrome 148 Coming Out
Chrome 147 is the current stable version, released April 7, 2026, with Chrome 148 stable expected May 5, 2026.7 Google Chrome follows a predictable 4-week release cycle with new major versions shipping regularly.7
There is a new code change that enables the feature by default for stable builds, and it suggests that the feature is close to broader release in Chrome 148.8
“Google has been pushing Chrome performance pretty aggressively lately, and this fits that same pattern.” — Phandroid
It is worth noting that this is not a confirmed ship announcement. The code is merged and rollout signals are strong, but Chrome 148 is an inference from current changelist activity, not an official release note.4 Still, given how far along the code changes are, most tech observers agree the rollout is imminent.
As the world’s most popular browser with over 65% market share7, Chrome’s decisions ripple across the entire web. When Chrome changes how it loads media, every website builder, every blogger, and every reader around the world eventually feels it. This particular update is not just a technical tweak. It is a genuine quality-of-life improvement for anyone who has ever tapped their fingers waiting for a page to open. Faster browsing is not a luxury anymore. It is what users expect, and Google is finally delivering it where it counts.
What do you think about Chrome’s new lazy loading update? Will this make a real difference in how you browse the web? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
