Best Android Browser for Saving Data
Android is, without doubt, the world’s most popular Operation System (OS) for mobile devices. Today, about 74.13 percent of people use devices that run on the platform. Most of these people spend their time surfing across the web.
But which browsers do they use? And what’s the best Android browser for saving data? If you have been asking yourself these questions, then we are going to give the answer in this article. Knowing which Android Browser works best for data saving is important, particularly if you are on an unlimited connection. The article is composed of the sections given below. Click on any of the links to jump to the area that you are interested in;
What are the most popular browsers on Android devices?
The following are the most popular Android Browsers in the world. They are arranged beginning with the most popular. See if the browser that you use on your mobile device is on the list!
- Chrome Mobile 63.42%
- Samsung Internet 6.55%
- UC Browser 3.4%
- Opera 1.6%
- Firefox 0.47%
Understanding these figures
As far as browsers go, Chrome is a new addition to the field. However, it has since overtaken all the other browsers in terms of market share. But why is that the case? To be fair, Chrome’s popularity probably has to do with the fact that the browser enjoys an unfair advantage over its competitors.
It comes preinstalled on all Android devices that get onto the market today. At the end of the day, most people never bother to look for other options. Today, Chrome enjoys a staggering 63.42% share of the market and that figure is likely to keep rising by the day.
Coming a distant second in terms of browser popularity for civil servants is Samsung Internet. This commands 6.55% percent of the market. Again, part of the popularity has to do with the browser coming preinstalled on Samsung phones. So, there is an unfair advantage even here.
Best Android Browser for Data Savings
Okay, now that that is out of the way, we come to the most interesting part of this article. Which browser on our list is the best when it comes to making data savings? The figures above show that Chrome is the most popular browser on Android mobile devices. But how does it perform in terms of data savings?
Opera Mini
Though it comes in at number 4 on our list of the most popular Android browsers, Opera actually performs the best when it comes to saving data while browsing. Opera has a light version, Opera Mini, that’s the best in this regard. If you have never tried it out, then this is something that you should do.
With Opera Mini, it’s possible to save up to 90% in data while browsing. That’s an amazing feat, and it means you will be saving lots of money. Because that’s what it boils down to at the end of the day. People look for the most frugal browsers for their devices as a way of making savings on data.
How does Opera Mini achieve this feat?
Opera Mini is able to save so much on data because it does a trick that all the other browsers on our list have not yet implemented. When you open a web page using Opera Mini, the page is not delivered directly to your device.
Instead, it is first directed to Opera servers, where it is stripped of most of the heavy content that needlessly makes up web pages. What is left is then compressed and delivered to your device. The result is that you get a stripped down version of each web page.
You can make additional savings by disabling images
With Opera Mini, you can make even more data savings by disabling images when browsing. Images, it has to be said, make up much of the bloat that plagues websites. If you don’t really need them, there is no need to have them delivered to your device. Doing so only serves to eat into your data plan.
Google Chrome
Most people are not aware that Google Chrome has a setting that allows them to save data. To save data while using Chrome, you need to enable Lite mode in settings. Doing this enables you to save as much as 60% data.
Not only that, but Lite mode is also useful as a way of enabling your web pages to load faster. The concept is the same as that used by Opera Mini. Pages are stripped of all the bloat, with only essential content being delivered to your device.
UC Browser
UC Browser is another browser that works great if you need to make data savings. As is the case with Opera Mini and Chrome, the idea is to load your pages at a faster pace while also saving data. So, how much does UC Browser save?
With UC Browser, you can make up to 85% data savings on your Android device. So, this one gives Opera Mini a good run for its money. How it works is, again, almost the same as with Opera. UC Browser has multiple servers around the world that are used to compress data. What you get at the end of the day is stripped down version of each web page that you are interested in.
Summary
Hope you have found this article useful. Knowing which browser to use for saving data can be a life saver. When using unlimited WiFi, there is usually nothing to worry about. However, when using limited data bundles, sometimes it pays to get a browser that strips away all that chaff. You need a browser that gives you the bare essentials on a web page. A number of Android browsers on the market today come with some degree of data saving. However, the best of these is undoubtedly Opera Mini. Depending on the settings that you have chosen, Opera Mini can make up to 90% in data savings.
Anyway, if you are interested, also check out our article on how to set up a metered connection in Windows 10. That will help you make data savings on your computer.