Google’s Chrome browser for Android could get a speed boost soon. Google is experimenting with a new feature that would optimize pages using a remote server before sending them to your device — which could reduce the bandwidth your phone consumes while allowing your mobile browser to load content more quickly.

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A handful of web browsers already do this, including Opera Mini and Skyfire. What’s different about Google’s implementation is that it would use Google’s SPDY proxy servers.

In my experience, Opera and Skyfire have never felt significantly faster than Chrome or the stock Android browser when I used them over a speedy WiFi connection. But you’re more likely to notice the difference when using a browser on a slow mobile data network.

Developer François Beaufort noticed the new experimental feature while looking through Chromium source code commits.

You can find out how to enable the experimental support for SPDY proxies in his post on the topic.

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2 replies on “Google might speed up Chrome for Android by routing traffic through a remote server”

  1. Well, I guess if I’m going to have a company looking at my internet traffic then it’d Google. They already know everything about me anyway.

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