According to a new report by Android Police, Google Chrome 98 is going to add a new font format. This new font format is called COLRv1, and it will noticeably improve the sharpness of the emoji. Another advantage of using this new COLRv1 format is that it will reduce the size of the emoji. The rate of usage of social media apps has significantly increased, and a reduction in the size of emoji will also help reduce the burden on the servers. Notably, the COLRv1 font format will replace the existing standard bitmap format. Taking a look at the images shared by Android Police (attached below), the emoji in COLRv1 format look shaper and colorful as compared to the standard bitmap ones. Google says that it has developed this new format to support “glyph definitions”. Basically, the support of “glyph definitions” will allow for gradients and variants. In simple terms, the new format will be able to handle complex emoji more smoothly and produce vibrant colors.
Google Chrome 98 beta is already available to download from the Play Store
Reduction in the size of the emoji, as already mentioned, is also very crucial, since these are not just simple fonts. The COLRv1 Color Gradient Vector Fonts introduced in Chrome 98 will bring a change to this in the future. The new format aims to reduce the emoji sizes by a fifth, even with much higher qualities. Users will be able to use the COLRv1 format emoji on both desktop and mobile. Moreover, the COLRv1 format scales to larger sizes. This means that the emoji sent over on the web with large font sizes will also look vibrant and sharp. For those who wish to experience and use the emoji in the new format, you can check out this demo created by the Chrome dev team. Besides, the Google Chrome 98 beta version is already available to download from the Google Play Store. The new emoji format is expected to come bundled with the stable release of Chrome 98 within a few weeks. The new Chrome 98 beta also brings a native feel to the installed web apps, HDR improvements, privacy guide, screenshot that can be decorated with emoji, and more.
