Chrome for Android has long had a Data Saver feature that attempts to optimize web page loading on slow internetto help users save data and money. As useful as this is, it was only available for non-secure HTTP pages, which is quite ironic considering how hard Google pushes for HTTPS. That all changes with the latest version of Chrome for Android, which supports Chrome Lite pages, which is just a fancy name for optimized HTTPS pages.
The reason why Data Saver didn't initially work with HTTPS pages is because of how the feature works. When Chrome detects that the user is on a 2G or slower network, or that a page will take more than 5 seconds to load, Data Saver kicks in, sending the page to Google's servers to be optimized, then sending that lite version to your phone. It's pretty much the same method that Opera used to make its browser so popular in the past.
This process is, of course, contrary to the encrypted and secure nature of HTTPS pages, so Google had to make a few modifications. In the case of these pages, only the URL is sent to Google’s servers. All other critical information, such as cookies and personalized content, is not shared with Google for security and privacy reasons. Other than that, though, Chrome Lite pages work the same way.
Google claims that Data Saver can reduce data usage by 90% and make pages load twice as fast. Chrome Lite pages will be clearly marked in the address bar, and users will have the option to load the original, non-lite version if they want. If they do this frequently for the same webpage, Chrome will automatically disable Data Saver for that page.
Chrome Lite pages combine two of Google's biggest concerns for the mobile web. It requires more security via HTTPS while also encouraging developers to optimize pages for efficient use of data.
