Philip Walton
@philipwalton.com
Engineering lead @ Google working on Chrome and the Web. I occasionally blog at: https://philipwalton.com
Pinned
Philip Walton
@philipwalton.com
· Sep 9
The State of ES5 on the Web
Should web developers and JavaScript library authors still transpile their code to ES5? This post looks at what the data suggests based on what popular libraries, tools, and websites are doing
philipwalton.com
📢 New post: The State of ES5 on the Web.
For years, we defaulted to transpiling to ES5 in order to support IE. But is that still necessary?
I took a look at the data to find out, and I'll just say that the results were *actually* quite surprising! 🙀
philipwalton.com/articles/the...
For years, we defaulted to transpiling to ES5 in order to support IE. But is that still necessary?
I took a look at the data to find out, and I'll just say that the results were *actually* quite surprising! 🙀
philipwalton.com/articles/the...
Reposted by Philip Walton
View Transitions are now in all browsers! They also landed in React! developer.chrome.com/blog/view-tr...
October 23, 2025 at 5:50 AM
View Transitions are now in all browsers! They also landed in React! developer.chrome.com/blog/view-tr...
Reposted by Philip Walton
Chrome for Android can now help users adopt passkeys more seamlessly.
If a user signs in with a saved password , your website can request that an associated password manager (in many cases on Chrome is Google Password Manager) creates a passkey automatically.
developer.chrome.com/blog/automat...
If a user signs in with a saved password , your website can request that an associated password manager (in many cases on Chrome is Google Password Manager) creates a passkey automatically.
developer.chrome.com/blog/automat...
Automatic passkey creation in Chrome for Android | Blog | Chrome for Developers
Chrome for Android can now automatically create passkeys after password sign-in, helping users transition to passkeys with less friction.
developer.chrome.com
October 10, 2025 at 3:47 AM
Chrome for Android can now help users adopt passkeys more seamlessly.
If a user signs in with a saved password , your website can request that an associated password manager (in many cases on Chrome is Google Password Manager) creates a passkey automatically.
developer.chrome.com/blog/automat...
If a user signs in with a saved password , your website can request that an associated password manager (in many cases on Chrome is Google Password Manager) creates a passkey automatically.
developer.chrome.com/blog/automat...
Reposted by Philip Walton
A lot has happened since Chrome shipped Same-Document View Transitions in 2023.
In 2024 we shipped Cross-Document VTs, added refinements such as `view-transition-class` and VT Types, and also welcomed Safari in adding VT support.
And this year … well, I wrote a post summing it all up.
In 2024 we shipped Cross-Document VTs, added refinements such as `view-transition-class` and VT Types, and also welcomed Safari in adding VT support.
And this year … well, I wrote a post summing it all up.
What's new in view transitions (2025 update) | Blog | Chrome for Developers
An overview of what changed for View Transitions in 2025
developer.chrome.com
October 8, 2025 at 11:31 AM
A lot has happened since Chrome shipped Same-Document View Transitions in 2023.
In 2024 we shipped Cross-Document VTs, added refinements such as `view-transition-class` and VT Types, and also welcomed Safari in adding VT support.
And this year … well, I wrote a post summing it all up.
In 2024 we shipped Cross-Document VTs, added refinements such as `view-transition-class` and VT Types, and also welcomed Safari in adding VT support.
And this year … well, I wrote a post summing it all up.
Reposted by Philip Walton
If we started Chrome Dev Summit again, would you be interested in it?
(huh - apparently can't do polls here...), Please reply, Yes or No, or any other answer in between.
(huh - apparently can't do polls here...), Please reply, Yes or No, or any other answer in between.
September 29, 2025 at 8:56 PM
If we started Chrome Dev Summit again, would you be interested in it?
(huh - apparently can't do polls here...), Please reply, Yes or No, or any other answer in between.
(huh - apparently can't do polls here...), Please reply, Yes or No, or any other answer in between.
Reposted by Philip Walton
✅ Baseline now has full feature coverage, making it easier to know which web platform features are ready to use.
Build the next wave of Baseline-powered tools and compete for $10,000 in prizes → goo.gle/424SBWc
Build the next wave of Baseline-powered tools and compete for $10,000 in prizes → goo.gle/424SBWc
September 25, 2025 at 5:11 PM
✅ Baseline now has full feature coverage, making it easier to know which web platform features are ready to use.
Build the next wave of Baseline-powered tools and compete for $10,000 in prizes → goo.gle/424SBWc
Build the next wave of Baseline-powered tools and compete for $10,000 in prizes → goo.gle/424SBWc
Reposted by Philip Walton
Announcing our public preview of Chrome DevTools MCP! Experience the full power of DevTools in your AI coding agent→ goo.gle/4pDE6Tk
With Chrome DevTools MCP, your AI agent can run performance traces, inspect the DOM, & perform real-time debugging of your web pages.
With Chrome DevTools MCP, your AI agent can run performance traces, inspect the DOM, & perform real-time debugging of your web pages.
September 23, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Announcing our public preview of Chrome DevTools MCP! Experience the full power of DevTools in your AI coding agent→ goo.gle/4pDE6Tk
With Chrome DevTools MCP, your AI agent can run performance traces, inspect the DOM, & perform real-time debugging of your web pages.
With Chrome DevTools MCP, your AI agent can run performance traces, inspect the DOM, & perform real-time debugging of your web pages.
Reposted by Philip Walton
Before, you needed a plugin to use Baseline semantics in your Browserslist queries. Now you don't!
Just give it a target like `baseline widely available` and it'll work out of the box
Available in [email protected] and later
web.dev/blog/browser...
Just give it a target like `baseline widely available` and it'll work out of the box
Available in [email protected] and later
web.dev/blog/browser...
Browserslist now supports Baseline | Blog | web.dev
Browserslist has added support for Baseline queries. Find out what that could mean for your developer workflow.
web.dev
September 16, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Before, you needed a plugin to use Baseline semantics in your Browserslist queries. Now you don't!
Just give it a target like `baseline widely available` and it'll work out of the box
Available in [email protected] and later
web.dev/blog/browser...
Just give it a target like `baseline widely available` and it'll work out of the box
Available in [email protected] and later
web.dev/blog/browser...
Reposted by Philip Walton
Show us your best tooling ideas to help developers adopt more modern web features!
Join the hackathon for your shot at $10,000 in cash prizes 🔥🔥
web.dev/blog/baselin...
Join the hackathon for your shot at $10,000 in cash prizes 🔥🔥
web.dev/blog/baselin...
The Baseline Tooling Hackathon starts now! | Blog | web.dev
Want to make the web better for a chance to win cash prizes? Join the Baseline Tooling Hackathon!
web.dev
September 2, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Show us your best tooling ideas to help developers adopt more modern web features!
Join the hackathon for your shot at $10,000 in cash prizes 🔥🔥
web.dev/blog/baselin...
Join the hackathon for your shot at $10,000 in cash prizes 🔥🔥
web.dev/blog/baselin...
Reposted by Philip Walton
Scoped View Transitions are ready for testing in Chrome!
SVTs expose el.startViewTransition() on HTML elements. The element creates a scope for the transition, ∴ the transition pseudo-elements are affected by ancestor clips and transforms. Multiple SVTs on separate elements can run *concurrently*.
SVTs expose el.startViewTransition() on HTML elements. The element creates a scope for the transition, ∴ the transition pseudo-elements are affected by ancestor clips and transforms. Multiple SVTs on separate elements can run *concurrently*.
github.com
August 15, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Scoped View Transitions are ready for testing in Chrome!
SVTs expose el.startViewTransition() on HTML elements. The element creates a scope for the transition, ∴ the transition pseudo-elements are affected by ancestor clips and transforms. Multiple SVTs on separate elements can run *concurrently*.
SVTs expose el.startViewTransition() on HTML elements. The element creates a scope for the transition, ∴ the transition pseudo-elements are affected by ancestor clips and transforms. Multiple SVTs on separate elements can run *concurrently*.
Reposted by Philip Walton
🎉 Happy 30-month anniversary to Container Queries – in every browser since Feb, 2023. It was supposed to be impossible, but here we are!
Why 2.5 years? Nothing will change tomorrow, but Baseline uses this milestone to signal confidence a feature has gained "wide" support.
youtu.be/bhHV0rQ3-CQ
Why 2.5 years? Nothing will change tomorrow, but Baseline uses this milestone to signal confidence a feature has gained "wide" support.
youtu.be/bhHV0rQ3-CQ
August 13, 2025 at 9:02 PM
🎉 Happy 30-month anniversary to Container Queries – in every browser since Feb, 2023. It was supposed to be impossible, but here we are!
Why 2.5 years? Nothing will change tomorrow, but Baseline uses this milestone to signal confidence a feature has gained "wide" support.
youtu.be/bhHV0rQ3-CQ
Why 2.5 years? Nothing will change tomorrow, but Baseline uses this milestone to signal confidence a feature has gained "wide" support.
youtu.be/bhHV0rQ3-CQ
I know some people in the web community are concerned that Baseline will discourage devs from using new features—or anything not "Widely Available".
Personally, I'm not worried about that at all. If anything, I think Baseline will speed up new feature adoption!
Here's why 🧵
Personally, I'm not worried about that at all. If anything, I think Baseline will speed up new feature adoption!
Here's why 🧵
August 13, 2025 at 4:08 AM
I know some people in the web community are concerned that Baseline will discourage devs from using new features—or anything not "Widely Available".
Personally, I'm not worried about that at all. If anything, I think Baseline will speed up new feature adoption!
Here's why 🧵
Personally, I'm not worried about that at all. If anything, I think Baseline will speed up new feature adoption!
Here's why 🧵
Reposted by Philip Walton
What new web features are your users actually ready for? Stop guessing. 🔮
Baseline helps you make data-driven decisions so you can ship the right features at the right time. Learn more and find your target with #WhatsMyBaseline → goo.gle/whats-my-baseline
Baseline helps you make data-driven decisions so you can ship the right features at the right time. Learn more and find your target with #WhatsMyBaseline → goo.gle/whats-my-baseline
August 8, 2025 at 4:37 PM
What new web features are your users actually ready for? Stop guessing. 🔮
Baseline helps you make data-driven decisions so you can ship the right features at the right time. Learn more and find your target with #WhatsMyBaseline → goo.gle/whats-my-baseline
Baseline helps you make data-driven decisions so you can ship the right features at the right time. Learn more and find your target with #WhatsMyBaseline → goo.gle/whats-my-baseline
Reposted by Philip Walton
Firefox shipping scheduler.postTask() and scheduler.yield() for all your long task-avoiding scheduling needs!!
Gecko: Intent to ship: Prioritized Scheduling API
Gecko: Intent to ship: Prioritized Scheduling API
Gecko: Intent to ship: Prioritized Scheduling API
groups.google.com
June 27, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Firefox shipping scheduler.postTask() and scheduler.yield() for all your long task-avoiding scheduling needs!!
Reposted by Philip Walton
Here's my talk from I/O along with the companion blog post that rounds up all of the links mentioned. It's been a very exciting year for the web, and all the new Baseline tooling we've just announced can help you understand when to adopt these new features. web.dev/blog/whats-n...
What's new in web | Blog | web.dev
A roundup of everything mentioned in the What's New in Web talk at Google I/O.
web.dev
May 22, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Here's my talk from I/O along with the companion blog post that rounds up all of the links mentioned. It's been a very exciting year for the web, and all the new Baseline tooling we've just announced can help you understand when to adopt these new features. web.dev/blog/whats-n...
Reposted by Philip Walton
We've just published v5.0.0 of the web-vitals JavaScript library for measuring Core Web Vitals.
github.com/GoogleChrome...
As a major release, this includes a number of breaking changes as detailed in the upgrading doc:
github.com/GoogleChrome...
Please read carefully before upgrading.
1/5 🧵
github.com/GoogleChrome...
As a major release, this includes a number of breaking changes as detailed in the upgrading doc:
github.com/GoogleChrome...
Please read carefully before upgrading.
1/5 🧵
GitHub - GoogleChrome/web-vitals: Essential metrics for a healthy site.
Essential metrics for a healthy site. Contribute to GoogleChrome/web-vitals development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
May 7, 2025 at 7:50 PM
We've just published v5.0.0 of the web-vitals JavaScript library for measuring Core Web Vitals.
github.com/GoogleChrome...
As a major release, this includes a number of breaking changes as detailed in the upgrading doc:
github.com/GoogleChrome...
Please read carefully before upgrading.
1/5 🧵
github.com/GoogleChrome...
As a major release, this includes a number of breaking changes as detailed in the upgrading doc:
github.com/GoogleChrome...
Please read carefully before upgrading.
1/5 🧵
Reposted by Philip Walton
So sad... One of the happiest things about building new CSS features was having Adam build cool stuff with them.
April 11, 2025 at 8:02 PM
So sad... One of the happiest things about building new CSS features was having Adam build cool stuff with them.
Reposted by Philip Walton
After 6 years of working closely alongside @nerdy.dev I am just rocked by this news.
Still not ready to accept it TBH but I stand behind Adam as one of the most genuine, talented, effervescent devs I've ever worked with.
If you're hiring snatch him up before I figure out a way to get him back 👀
Still not ready to accept it TBH but I stand behind Adam as one of the most genuine, talented, effervescent devs I've ever worked with.
If you're hiring snatch him up before I figure out a way to get him back 👀
April 11, 2025 at 8:01 PM
After 6 years of working closely alongside @nerdy.dev I am just rocked by this news.
Still not ready to accept it TBH but I stand behind Adam as one of the most genuine, talented, effervescent devs I've ever worked with.
If you're hiring snatch him up before I figure out a way to get him back 👀
Still not ready to accept it TBH but I stand behind Adam as one of the most genuine, talented, effervescent devs I've ever worked with.
If you're hiring snatch him up before I figure out a way to get him back 👀
Reposted by Philip Walton
Adam is the brightest, most authentic, inspiring, truly creative, high performing, deeply passionate, and nice person I have ever worked with.
And then my employer decided to terminate his role.
I am gutted and sick to my stomach.
I will miss you, my friend 💔
And then my employer decided to terminate his role.
I am gutted and sick to my stomach.
I will miss you, my friend 💔
April 11, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Adam is the brightest, most authentic, inspiring, truly creative, high performing, deeply passionate, and nice person I have ever worked with.
And then my employer decided to terminate his role.
I am gutted and sick to my stomach.
I will miss you, my friend 💔
And then my employer decided to terminate his role.
I am gutted and sick to my stomach.
I will miss you, my friend 💔
Reposted by Philip Walton
It’s a sin that this happened to Adam. A true world class frontend engineer and a world class human. I remember being so excited when we first spoke about him joining Chrome and then talking VisBug. And he’s gone from strength to strength. What an epic own goal.
April 11, 2025 at 6:25 PM
It’s a sin that this happened to Adam. A true world class frontend engineer and a world class human. I remember being so excited when we first spoke about him joining Chrome and then talking VisBug. And he’s gone from strength to strength. What an epic own goal.
Reposted by Philip Walton
Someone hire this guy. He's one of the best. Hire him before someone else does.
April 11, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Someone hire this guy. He's one of the best. Hire him before someone else does.
Reposted by Philip Walton
G̶o̶o̶g̶l̶e̶r̶… ex-Googler. · April 10, 2025
My role at Google was eliminated.
nerdy.dev
April 11, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Reposted by Philip Walton
Browser support info for CSS properties in VS Code is about to get a huge improvement
Instead of looking at a list of browser versions and guessing if you can use a feature, now it'll just... tell you!
Coming soon to the April 2025 stable release, or you can try it now in Insiders
Instead of looking at a list of browser versions and guessing if you can use a feature, now it'll just... tell you!
Coming soon to the April 2025 stable release, or you can try it now in Insiders
April 7, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Browser support info for CSS properties in VS Code is about to get a huge improvement
Instead of looking at a list of browser versions and guessing if you can use a feature, now it'll just... tell you!
Coming soon to the April 2025 stable release, or you can try it now in Insiders
Instead of looking at a list of browser versions and guessing if you can use a feature, now it'll just... tell you!
Coming soon to the April 2025 stable release, or you can try it now in Insiders
Reposted by Philip Walton
My team is hiring!
Come join us as
a Developer Advocate at the intersection of Web, Chrome, ChromeOS and Android.
The position is in Waterloo - Canada
www.google.com/about/career...
Come join us as
a Developer Advocate at the intersection of Web, Chrome, ChromeOS and Android.
The position is in Waterloo - Canada
www.google.com/about/career...
Senior Developer Advocate, Chrome — Google Careers
www.google.com
March 17, 2025 at 10:58 PM
My team is hiring!
Come join us as
a Developer Advocate at the intersection of Web, Chrome, ChromeOS and Android.
The position is in Waterloo - Canada
www.google.com/about/career...
Come join us as
a Developer Advocate at the intersection of Web, Chrome, ChromeOS and Android.
The position is in Waterloo - Canada
www.google.com/about/career...
Reposted by Philip Walton
We don't have an official CrUX Bluesky account, so for the moment I'll announce the monthly releases. And we're starting with a big one!
🆕 The 202501 release is now live on BigQuery!
Check out the announcement post for the full info:
groups.google.com/a/chromium.o...
Highlights below 👇
🧵 1/10
🆕 The 202501 release is now live on BigQuery!
Check out the announcement post for the full info:
groups.google.com/a/chromium.o...
Highlights below 👇
🧵 1/10
The 202501 dataset is live
groups.google.com
February 11, 2025 at 8:06 PM
We don't have an official CrUX Bluesky account, so for the moment I'll announce the monthly releases. And we're starting with a big one!
🆕 The 202501 release is now live on BigQuery!
Check out the announcement post for the full info:
groups.google.com/a/chromium.o...
Highlights below 👇
🧵 1/10
🆕 The 202501 release is now live on BigQuery!
Check out the announcement post for the full info:
groups.google.com/a/chromium.o...
Highlights below 👇
🧵 1/10
Reposted by Philip Walton
We're shipping the new `Node#moveBefore()` API in Chrome 133! Read more in our latest blog post: developer.chrome.com/blog/movebef...
Huge thx to @nomster.bsky.social for help bringing this to life, frameworks that helped test it, and the spec ecosystem for working with us to get it standardized!
Huge thx to @nomster.bsky.social for help bringing this to life, frameworks that helped test it, and the spec ecosystem for working with us to get it standardized!
January 21, 2025 at 9:17 PM
We're shipping the new `Node#moveBefore()` API in Chrome 133! Read more in our latest blog post: developer.chrome.com/blog/movebef...
Huge thx to @nomster.bsky.social for help bringing this to life, frameworks that helped test it, and the spec ecosystem for working with us to get it standardized!
Huge thx to @nomster.bsky.social for help bringing this to life, frameworks that helped test it, and the spec ecosystem for working with us to get it standardized!