There are many solutions to compress an image online, but not all of them guarantee the confidentiality of your files. Squoosh, a web application launched by Google in November 2018, stands out for its approach: it allows images to be compressed directly in the browser without ever sending them to a server. All compression is done locally on your device.
The ideal for any image is to preserve its original quality and resolution, without resorting to overly aggressive compression. However, when it comes to sharing or distributing an image, it is generally better to reduce its weight as much as possible.
The good news is that there are many image formats that can maintain a good balance between size and quality. While a simple image editor may suffice, specialized tools like Squoosh (whose name derives from " to squish » which means to crush), offer a more precise and efficient solution. This experimental project of Google Chrome Labs was designed to facilitate image compression in a simple and efficient way, directly from your browser.
Compress an image with Squoosh
As is often the case with tools in the Google universe, using Squoosh to compress an image is quite simple and should not pose any particular problems.
Go to the official website and drag the image you want to compress to the dedicated location. Alternatively, you can click on the big pink dot to browse your computer looking of the image or even perform a simple copy and paste which can be very practical.
You will then be immediately directed to an interface divided into two parts: on the left, the original image, and on the right, the compression space. In this area, you will be able to choose the desired conversion format and adjust the compression parameters according to your needs by dragging a slider to adjust the quality. Below the settings box, an indicator shows you the weight reduction that your image will undergo (in percentage and in bytes).
On the photo another slider allows you to easily compare the quality before et after compression, in near real time, and visualize any artifacts or quality loss. This is super handy for adjusting your settings to match your quality needs.
Squoosh offers nine compression formats: AVIF, JPG Browser, PNG Browser, jpeg xl (in beta), MozJPEG, OxiPNG, What, WebP, and WebP version 2 (which is still unstable). AVIF et WebP are particularly effective for image compression bulky, but MozJPEG also stands out by allowing you to recover a few extra kilobytes thanks to its advanced settings.
If compression isn't enough, Squoosh also offers the ability to resize your image and reduce the color palette to minimize its weight!
Two important things to note: First, the images never leave your device when compression process (only information about the number of visitors and the size of the files before and after compression are collected), and then, Squoosh is a project open source. Its code is available on GitHub for interested users.
