Chrome plans lazy loading for video and audio to speed up pages

Google is working on a change that could make webpages with lots of videos and audio load faster in Chrome.

Chrome already delays loading images and embedded content until you scroll near them. This helps pages open quicker and saves data, especially on slower connections. Now, Google wants to bring the same behavior to video and audio too.

Why Chrome is working on delayed loading for video and audio

Today, many webpages begin loading videos the moment the page opens, even when those videos are located far below the visible area. This slows down the page and uses more data than needed. The problem is worse on mobile networks, where speed and data limits still matter for many people.

Here is how the change would work. Videos and audio would only begin loading when you scroll close to them. If you never reach that section of the page, the media never loads at all. That reduces background downloads, cuts waste, and helps pages feel faster from the start.

News websites, blogs, and pages packed with embedded videos stand to benefit the most. Many articles today include several video players, even though most readers never scroll far enough to watch them. Under this plan, those offscreen videos would stay inactive until they are actually needed.

For website owners and creators, this also removes the need for complicated scripts that try to control when media loads. The browser would handle this by default, which keeps pages simpler and more predictable.

This work is still at an early proposal stage. Google has not shared any timeline for when, or if, this might reach regular Chrome users. It will likely take time before people see any real-world change.

Google is also testing a tab bottom sheet in Chrome on Android and making Reader Mode more immersive.