Google has revealed that a feature of Chrome for Android that has helped customers reduce their mobile data usage for years will be removed soon. With the release of Chrome version M100 in late March, Chrome’s “Lite mode” will be deprecated. When Google first debuted Lite mode on Android in 2014, it was branded as Data Saver.
Many smartphone users back then were on tiered data plans, which meant they could be charged more if they went over their monthly data allowance. In some areas, mobile speeds were limited, therefore Lite mode compressed pages to make them load faster. Google added the ability to completely block photos in 2015 to save even more space.
However, Google no longer sees a compelling reason to keep the choice available. Unlimited internet plans are once again the norm, and Google believes that Chrome’s default settings have continued to reduce data usage.
Chrome for Android version M100 will be released to the stable channel on March 29th, so Lite mode will remain available until then.
