For some data concerns remain a major headache, especially when taking into account our local data rates. To help, Twitter has announced Twitter Lite, which is said to minimises data usage and load quickly on slower connections. The company also notes that the Lite version takes up less than 1 MB in size, and should be resilient on mobile networks.

Twitter Lite is not an app. Instead, it works through a phone or tablet’s browser. All the regular features are there, including timeline, direct messages and notification, with Twitter noting it has been optimised for speed, with an improvement of 30% on startup time.

Twitter Lite is a faster, data friendly way for people to use Twitter to see what’s happening in the world.

👉 https://t.co/AIUgyCAFj0 pic.twitter.com/9EIG7pgK6O

— Twitter (@Twitter) April 6, 2017

To truly make the most of Twitter Lite’s data conserving abilities, users have to turn on “Data saver”, with savings of up to 70% promised. It does this by not automatically loading images and videos, allowing users to select the ones to display. Visit mobile.twitter.com and click on your profile icon; and make sure Data saver toggle is switched on.

While testing Twitter Lite through Chrome on Android, it provided the option for a homescreen shortcut to the site, while Twitter notes Lite can also offer push notifications.

“Twitter Lite is a great way for many people in emerging markets across Asia Pacific, Latin America and Africa to experience Twitter for the first time on their mobile devices,” Patrick Traughber, product manager at Twitter states.