While there are many Smartphone users in the world who access the World Wide Web on unlimited data plans or Wi-Fi connections, a majority of Smartphone users still use their network’s limited 3G connectivity feature to browse the web and hence are always looking for ways they can get the maximum amount of web time with their data limited plans. Although there is simply no way you can cut down on your data consumption if you frequently download apps from app stores, you can definitely reduce the amount of data you download while browsing your favorite websites.
These features are available in two of the most popular Smartphone browsers, which include Google Chrome and Opera.
The idea here is quite simple, and actually works when you route your browsing via the servers of Google and Opera and ask their servers to compress web pages at their own end for you, thereby ensuring that the size of the webpage is reduced and so is your data consumption.
Enabling data compression in Chrome:
To enable data compression in Google Chrome for Android, iPhone, iPad and other portable devices, tap on the Menu button of the Chrome window and head over to settings.
Here under the Advanced tab, click on Bandwidth Management and then Reduce Data Usage. Set the slider to the on position and you’re good to go.
Enabling data compression in Opera:
In Opera, the data compression feature is now known as Off-Road mode, while earlier it was referred to as Opera Turbo.
To enable this Off-Road mode in Opera, tap on the O menu button in the browser window and select the Off Road Mode slider to the On Position.
Issues regarding privacy:
Although many people argue that by enabling these features you’re sharing your browsing history with Google or Opera, the fact is that Google is mostly present on a majority of websites you browse, in the form of Analytics or AdSense, and hence you’re sharing your information without you knowing anything about it.
Therefore, if you’re routing your web activity via servers of the company, you obviously aren’t losing anything, but are definitely gaining a lot in terms of reduced data usage. Moreover, both Google and Opera don’t compress and route encrypted HTTPS pages via their servers, and hence your privacy is completely protected if you’re surfing your bank accounts or accessing other secured websites.
Summary:
One of the best ways to reduce data consumption on your Smartphone is to make use of web browser compression feature, which is available in Google Chrome and Opera. Here are tips that will help you save a considerable amount of data, while getting a similar browsing experience.