Google Chrome to get huge speed boost with new algorithm

Named ‘Brotli’, the new technology will allow the browser to compress information up to 26 per cent faster — and pass that on to your browser

Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of Google Chrome, speaks during Google I/O Conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco, California June 28, 2012 (REUTERS/Stephen Lam)

Google Chrome is about to get much faster, because of a small change to the browser’s algorithm.

The company is rolling out a new technology called “Brotli”, which will allow the program to compress data up to 26 per cent faster. It will take the place of Zopfli, the existing engine, and bring huge speed bumps to everyone using the Google-owned browser.

Google says that the technology will also allow people to get “lower data transfer fees and reduced battery use”, because it cuts out the amount of information that computers have to download.

The company didn’t say when the new technology would be rolled out, but it’s expected to arrive in the next few weeks. By default, Google’s Chrome automatically downloads and installs new updates, so it’s likely that the browser will get a boost without you even noticing.

Google engineer Ilya Grigorik said that “Brotli compression is coming to a Chrome browser near you”, and that it was ready to be pushed out to the public.

The company hopes that other browsers will pick up the technology and that it will becoming a “new data format”, speeding them all up.