Lite mode on Chrome for Android, a feature that helped users save data and load web pages faster, is being turned off with the release of Chrome version 100.
What Is Chrome Lite Mode?
Lite mode is a feature that first arrived on the Android version of Chrome back in 2014, known then as Chrome Data Saver.
With the feature enabled, some of your web browsing would go through Google's servers, rather than directly to your device. If the page was loading slowly, Google's servers would try to simplify it so that it would reduce mobile data usage, while still maintaining the look and feel of the page.
It was especially useful for those people with limited mobile data plans and was only available on the Android version of Chrome.
Why Is Google Removing Chrome Lite Mode?
On the Chrome community forums, the browser's Support Manager posted to announce that Lite mode will cease to work from March 29, 2022.
According to the post, Google has noticed that costs for mobile data have declined in many countries over recent years, meaning that users are less concerned about being conservative with their internet usage.
Furthermore, Chrome now natively includes many features that minimize data usage and improve page speeds.
"Although Lite mode is going away, we remain committed to ensuring Chrome can deliver a fast webpage loading experience on mobile," notes Google's post.
Say Farewell to Lite Mode With Chrome 100
While some may have never used Lite mode on Android, the feature's removal is bound to be disappointing to others.
This is especially true for countries like India, which has seen a continual rise in the cost of pre-paid data, and for those who minimizing data usage was important.
When Chrome version 100 arrives on the stable release channel, Lite mode will stop working across all versions of the browser.