Do you constantly worry about data? I know I do. I cringe when a friend takes my phone and spends 5 minutes Googling something stupid. Data ain’t cheap!

That’s why I like the new Chrome update, which reduces data usage by 50%.

How does that work? Chrome 32 for Android reduces data usage simply by compressing it. Compressed data takes less space than uncompressed data, which means you avoid draining your data plan.

There are actually quite a few different data compression apps on the market today. Some compression apps promise to reduce data usage by 90%, while others are more modest and promise a reduction of about 50%.

Whether you’re a chronic data user or just on a tight budget, the latest Chrome for Android update is designed to help you…

-Save bandwidth

-Load pages more quickly

-Browse more securely

-Reduce data by “up to” 50% when browsing the web

Obviously, whenever you see words like “up to”, it means that the actual data usage saved will probably never get that high.

You also have to manually activate the setting in Chrome. To do that, go to Settings > Bandwidth Management and then toggle Reduce data usage to On.

You can return to that same menu to check how much data you’ve saved each month.

How does it work?

Chrome compresses your data in a fairly simple way.

All the data you access through Chrome goes through Google’s servers. Google’s servers compress the data and scan it for malware (which is why this update promises to increase browsing security).

That’s it! Download the latest version of Chrome from the Google Play Store or wait for the update to reach your phone automatically. Don’t forget to turn it on by going into the Chrome settings menu!