Google Web Light, introduced in 2015, was a service offered by

Google Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...

for faster browsing within its

Android Android may refer to: Science and technology * Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human * Android (operating system), Google's mobile operating system ** Bugdroid, a Google mascot sometimes referred to ...

mobile browser Chrome. It detected slow Internet connections, such as 2G and switched to Google proxy servers with built-in data compression. It could speed up loading times for text-based websites. These pages also had the advantage of being less taxing on the hardware of entry-level devices with less processing power. This service was offered in select countries including

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

and

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. Google Web Light bypassed content filters. Without content filters, adult content or other harmful content may be accessed by underage users. On December 19, 2022 Google announced that it discontinued the Web Light service by removing the documentation and retiring the Web Light user agent. Increased affordability of more powerful

smartphones A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, which ...

was cited as the reason for this decision.

References

Web Light Web Light {{Web-software-stub