Chrome data compression exits beta, available in coming stable release

Cut data usage when browsing by up to 50%

Chrome's data compression feature, which has been in the beta channel since version 28, is making its way to the stable channel for all users. The feature, if you haven't used it before, channels your data through a proxy server to cut down on the mobile data you eventually use on your phone or tablet. The result is a decrease of up to 50 percent in data usage from browsing — that's nothing to shake a stick at.

On a side note, the latest Chrome release will also enable a feature that lets you pin shortcuts to pages on your homescreen. Simply hit the menu button and you'll see a new option of "Add to homescreen" — no more bookmarking and adding a bookmark widget to your phone manually.

We're not yet seeing an update to Chrome on our own devices, but when it does finally roll out it will have these two features enabled. To turn on data compression, simply head into the settings, tap "Bandwidth management" and toggle the button to "on." It's that simple.

Source: Google Chrome Blog

Andrew Martonik

Andrew was an Executive Editor, U.S. at Android Central between 2012 and 2020.