Chrome no longer has Data Saver or Lite mode. Google’s help page now says that Lite mode, a Chrome feature for Android, is no longer supported. It ended with the Chrome for Android release of March 2022. Guides that tell you to tap Settings > Lite mode describe a setting that no longer exists.
You can still cut how much data Chrome uses. The steps below use settings that exist in Chrome today.
What Data Saver and Lite mode were
Data Saver was the original name. In 2018 Google’s help described it as a way to “lower your phone bill and load web pages faster on slow connections,” with a version for computers as well as phones. In 2019 the same help page called it Lite mode, which was for Android only. Google explained that when Lite mode was on, some of your web traffic might go through Google’s servers before being downloaded to your device, and that it did not work in private (Incognito) browsing.
That help page has since been replaced by the short notice that Lite mode is no longer supported. Google’s notice gives the cut-off only as a Chrome version; Google’s release announcement shows that version reached Android on March 29, 2022.
Save data on a computer: turn off Preload pages
To make browsing faster, Chrome loads some pages before you open them, in case you visit them. If you would rather Chrome load only the pages you actually open, for example on a metered connection, you can turn this off. These steps are from Google’s help on Chrome performance settings:
- Open Chrome. At the top right, select More (three dots) > Settings.
- On the left, select Performance.
- Turn Preload pages off. If you leave it on, you can choose Standard preloading instead of Extended preloading to preload fewer pages.
You can also paste chrome://settings/performance into the address bar to go straight there.
Save data on a phone
Chrome on Android, iPhone and iPad has no data-saving mode of its own any more. These habits still help:
- Use Wi-Fi when you can. Pages you load over Wi-Fi do not count against your mobile data.
- Check your phone’s own settings. Your phone may have a data-saving option that limits background data for all apps, including Chrome. Look in your phone’s settings or your phone maker’s help.
For signing in on your phone to get your bookmarks and tabs from your computer, see our guide to Chrome on your phone.
Is there a replacement extension for Chrome?
Google’s help does not name one, and Google’s own data-saving feature is gone. Be wary of extensions that promise to “compress” your browsing. Google’s version worked by sending some of your traffic through Google’s servers, so an extension that works the same way would send your traffic through its maker’s servers instead. If you want fewer ads and trackers loading, which also saves data, see our guide to blocking ads in Chrome.