Google to remove Chrome’s Lite mode feature on March 29

Google introduced the Lite mode feature for Chrome on mobile devices in 2014 to allow users to save mobile data and load web pages faster. The feature works by diverting the web traffic through Google servers before downloading it to the user’s device. Google servers optimize the web page so that less data is being downloaded and the page loads faster.

According to Google, mobile data in many countries has become affordable, and with improvements to the Chrome browser, Google AMP, the Lite mode is no longer necessary. The feature will be removed from the mobile version of Google Chrome on March 29, 2022, with the release of Chrome M100 to the stable channel.

“In recent years, we’ve seen a decrease in cost for mobile data in many countries, and we’ve shipped many improvements to Chrome to further minimize data usage and improve web page loading. Although Lite mode is going away, we remain committed to ensuring Chrome can deliver a fast webpage loading experience on mobile,” wrote Craig, Chrome Support Manager, on a support forum.

Google has already removed Lite mode from Chrome Canary and Dev builds on Android. Once the feature is removed from the Chrome stable build, users won’t be able to use it, even on older versions.