Google will soon add lazy loading to Chrome, for video and audio elements. In this way, one of the last major loopholes related to this function should be closed. Chrome has, like other Chromium web browsers, used this optimization for images and iframe elements, but not for video and audio content.
According to available information, Google is testing this change as part of Chrome version 148. The idea is simple. Page multimedia elements will no longer load immediately upon opening. It will only load when the user scrolls to the part of the page where they are located. In this way, the initial loading becomes faster, and the overall use of resources becomes more efficient.
It is important to note that this change will not affect the YouTube embedove. They already load through iframes and already use lazy loading mechanisms. However, even though video and audio elements are rarer than, say, images, their optimization can have a significant impact on the performance of pages that use them to a greater extent.
What Chrome lazy loading brings in practice
In practice, this means that sites with more multimedia content can load significantly faster. This will be noticeable especially on slower internet connections or weaker devices. Instead of the browser immediately loading all video and audio files, they will be activated only when the user reaches that part of the page. This reduces the initial system load and speeds up the display of content that is currently in focus.
Functionality, as with images, could rely on standard HTML mechanisms for lazy loading or on automatic optimization of the browser itself, without the need for additional developer interventions. This means that the benefits could be available even without significant changes to the existing sites.
In addition to Chrome, it is expected that other Chromium browsers, Microsoft Edge and Vivaldi will also get this feature. If the implementation goes smoothly, this will be another step towards faster page loading. And not only that, but also towards more efficient management of resources, explains GSMArena.