Fast loading and display of image previews

One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

• receiving, on a platform comprising one or more servers, a request for a message stream from client software on a first user device;
• determining, for the first user device, by the platform, that the platform should send images in messages in message streams sent to the first user device, in the form of tiny previews;
• determining whether the first user device supports WebP format images in that the first user device has a WebP decoder;
• encoding the images in the message stream using a WebP encoder with parameters selected to generate encoded images that are on average about 500 bytes in size, if the first user device supports WebP format images, wherein the parameters for the WebP encoder specify that dimensions of the encoded images are to be 64×64 pixels, not cropped, with an aspect preservation mode fit image quality of the encoded images is to be 35;
• and the encoded images are to be encoded with the following special encoder settings:
• filter_strength=100, filter_sharpness=7, and method=6;
• encoding the images in the message stream using a JPEG encoder with parameters selected to generate encoded images that are on average about 1,000 bytes in size, if the first user device does not support WebP format images;
• and
• sending the message stream with the encoded images to the client software on the first user device.

A system comprising:

• one or more computers configured as servers of an online social messaging platform and one or more storage devices on which are stored instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
• receiving a request for a message stream from client software on a first user device;
• determining, for the first user device, that the platform should send images in messages in message streams sent to the first user device, in the form of tiny previews;
• determining whether the first user device supports WebP format images in that the first user device has a WebP decoder;
• encoding the images in the message stream using a WebP encoder with parameters selected to generate encoded images that are on average about 500 bytes in size, if the first user device supports WebP format images, wherein the parameters for the WebP encoder specify that dimensions of the encoded images are to be 64×64 pixels, not cropped, with an aspect preservation mode fit image quality of the encoded images is to be 35;
• and the encoded images are to be encoded with the following special encoder settings:
• filter_strength=100, filter_sharpness=7, and method=6;
• encoding the images in the message stream using a JPEG encoder with parameters selected to generate encoded images that are on average about 1,000 bytes in size, if the first user device does not support WebP format images;
• and
• sending the message stream with the encoded images to the client software on the first user device.

A method for providing images in messages of a message stream sent to user devices in an online social messaging platform, the method comprising:

• receiving a request for a message stream from client software on a first user device;
• determining for the first user device, by the platform, that the platform should send images in messages in message streams sent to the first user device, in the form of tiny previews;
• determining whether the first user device supports WebP format images in that the first user device has a WebP decoder;
• encoding the images in the message stream using a WebP encoder with parameters selected to generate encoded images that are on average about 500 bytes in size, if the first user device supports WebP format images;
• encoding the images in the message stream using a JPEG encoder with parameters selected to generate encoded images that are on average about 1,000 bytes in size, if the first user device does not support WebP format images, wherein the parameters for the JPEG encoder specify that the dimensions of the encoded images are to be 64×64 pixels, not cropped, with the aspect preservation mode fit;
• the image quality of the encoded images is to be 70;
• and the encoded images are to be interlaced.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

• receiving a request for a message stream from client software on a first user device;
• determining for the first user device, by the platform, that the platform should send images in messages in message streams sent to the first user device, in the form of tiny previews;
• determining whether the first user device supports WebP format images in that the first user device has a WebP decoder;
• encoding the images in the message stream using a WebP encoder with parameters selected to generate encoded images that are on average about 500 bytes in size, if the first user device supports WebP format images;
• encoding the images in the message stream using a JPEG encoder with parameters selected to generate encoded images that are on average about 1,000 bytes in size, if the first user device does not support WebP format images, wherein the parameters for the JPEG encoder specify that the dimensions of the encoded images are to be 64×64 pixels, not cropped, with the aspect preservation mode fit;
• the image quality of the encoded images is to be 70;
• and the encoded images are to be interlaced.

A system comprising:

• one or more computers configured as servers of an online social messaging platform and one or more storage devices on which are stored instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
• receiving a request for a message stream from client software on a first user device;
• determining for the first user device, by the platform, that the platform should send images in messages in message streams sent to the first user device, in the form of tiny previews;
• determining whether the first user device supports WebP format images in that the first user device has a WebP decoder;
• encoding the images in the message stream using a WebP encoder with parameters selected to generate encoded images that are on average about 500 bytes in size, if the first user device supports WebP format images;
• encoding the images in the message stream using a JPEG encoder with parameters selected to generate encoded images that are on average about 1,000 bytes in size, if the first user device does not support WebP format images, wherein the parameters for the JPEG encoder specify that the dimensions of the encoded images are to be 64×64 pixels, not cropped, with the aspect preservation mode fit;
• the image quality of the encoded images is to be 70;
• and the encoded images are to be interlaced.