WEBGL_lose_context extension

Baseline Widely available

This feature is well established and works across many devices and browser versions. It’s been available across browsers since April 2018.

The WEBGL_lose_context extension is part of the WebGL API and exposes functions to simulate losing and restoring a WebGLRenderingContext.

WebGL extensions are available using the WebGLRenderingContext.getExtension() method. For more information, see also Using Extensions in the WebGL tutorial.

Note: This extension is available to both, WebGL1 and WebGL2 contexts.

Instance methods

WEBGL_lose_context.loseContext()

Simulates losing the context.

WEBGL_lose_context.restoreContext()

Simulates restoring the context.

Examples

With this extension, you can simulate the webglcontextlost and webglcontextrestored events:

js
const canvas = document.getElementById("canvas");
const gl = canvas.getContext("webgl");

canvas.addEventListener("webglcontextlost", (event) => {
  console.log(event);
});

gl.getExtension("WEBGL_lose_context").loseContext();

// WebGLContextEvent event with type "webglcontextlost" is logged.

Specifications

Specification
WebGL WEBGL_lose_context Khronos Ratified Extension Specification

Browser compatibility

Report problems with this compatibility data on GitHub
desktopmobile
Chrome
Edge
Firefox
Opera
Safari
Chrome Android
Firefox for Android
Opera Android
Safari on iOS
Samsung Internet
WebView Android
WebView on iOS
WEBGL_lose_context
loseContext
restoreContext

Legend

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Full support
Full support
Requires a vendor prefix or different name for use.
Has more compatibility info.

See also