Google develops a data-friendly 'Search Lite'

The search giant Google is developing a data-friendly version of its search engine to work better on networks with slower connections, reports AndroidPolice.

The app, dubbed "Search Lite", aims to make things "faster and more data-friendly" by "supporting offline features" and being less data-intensive, the website says.

It was spotted in an Indonesian online advert, says the site, which means it could be targeted at markets with poorer mobile data connections.

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According to TechCrunch, the software is "essentially a modified version of the Google search app" that's "similar to the YouTube Lite app that Google launched in India last year".

But this time the market appears to be Indonesia, not India. Google told the website that: "We're always experimenting with our products with the goal of providing the most useful and optimal experience for our users. This is a new experimental app to help improve the search experience for users in Indonesia."

The tech giant is also working on a compact variant of its mobile operating system called Android Go, The Verge reports. This uses less mobile data compared to the standard version.

Android Go, along with Search and YouTube Lite, are part of Google's plans to gain more customers outside its existing markets, the site says.

It's not yet known whether the data-friendly apps will make their way to the UK, but SlashGear says the software will "probably be tested in other markets" in the near future.