Google is killing off the Data Saver extension for Chrome
If you're a Chrome user with the Data Saver extension installed, there's some bad news. Google has announced that with the desktop version of Chrome 74, the extension is being deprecated.
Data Saver is not going away completely, however. It will remain, exclusively, in the Android version of the web browser where it will be known as Lite mode. While this is great for mobile users looking to reduce their data usage, it's a little strange that desktop users won't also be afforded the ability to enjoy a data-light, faster internet experience.
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Google says that the change in name for Data Saver is being introduced because the feature has evolved to be much more than just a data saving tool -- it also helps pages to load faster and use less memory. Quite why this is something that should only be enjoyed by Android users and not desktop Chrome users is something known only to Google.
In a blog post about the change, Google says:
Since we introduced Data Saver in Chrome, we've reduced users' data usage by up to 60 percent. But now, the feature is expanding to provide more benefits in addition to data savings. Pages will now load faster, in some cases considerably faster, and use less memory. This is why starting today, we will be renaming Data Saver to Lite mode.
The company adds:
Lite mode is available only on Chrome for Android. The Chrome Data Saver desktop extension will be deprecated in M74.
Of course, Google is famed for changing its mind, so while desktop users are currently cut out of saving data and speeding up the internet with Lite mode for the time being, it's difficult to predict whether this will be the case forever.
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