Google Chrome is, statistically, one of the browsers most used by Android users. It is for many reasons, especially because it is a very complete browser due to its multiple functionalities. These functionalities have a counterpart, and that is that this leads to a greater drain on resources both in terms of battery and mobile data. Luckily, there is a basic mode in Google Chrome that alleviates that wear.
All are collateral damage, since all this load of elements that originate when entering a web page suppose a greater weight for the terminal hardware. In addition, the more complete the load of all elements and widgets on the page, the more internet it requires. This measure comes precisely to retaliate the load of these websites.
What is this mode and how does it work in the browser
This basic mode is presented with this name in Android, since in Chrome for desktop it is also known as lazy loading or lazy-loading, which you may have met on occasion. Only in its desktop version it is an experimental function, while on the phone we can use it now.
When entering a website, it may take several seconds to load, especially if there are many multimedia elements. This not only slows down the load, but also affects mobile data consumption, which is noticeably increased. Basic mode is a solution to this problem, since it is a technique that does not load the multimedia elements until they appear on the screen. This means that when you enter a website, fewer resources are needed, consuming less data in this way.
When we enter a website using Chrome on Android, we will not have to wait for these elements to load. As we navigate through said website, they will be loaded. This basic mode contributes to a faster initial charge, in addition to reducing the consumption of mobile data when we browse.
How to activate this feature in Chrome
Best of all, it does not belong to flags from Chrome, so not an experimental function and that can be enabled in a very simple way. To activate the basic mode we do not have to do too much, since in Android it has been integrated as a normal function, unlike the computer where it has to be activated as an experimental function. The steps for its activation are:
- Open Chrome on your phone.
- Click on the three vertical points superiors
- Press on basic mode.
- Active the switch.
- Basic mode is already up and running.
Is there a savings effect?
It can be a sea of doubts that this tool is truly effective against the massive erosion of mobile data in the case of using it when we are browsing. It is not something trivial, but it takes frequent use of the browser to obtain a really consistent comparison. In addition, it is a quite subjective detail It depends on different factors, such as the number of open pages, if there is multimedia content, if there is any download. and so on.
According to Google, with the help of a data collection that it has carried out in different terminals, it ensures that with average use, in some cases it can mean a data saving of 60%. It may be more or it may be less, but in our particular test we have experienced, after almost a week of use, that activating the basic mode in Google Chrome is a saving about 75 MB of mobile data for a percentage of 6%.