We have previously written about the data saving features in various web browsers available for the Android platform. The Google Chrome web browser for Android has options to reduce data usage while the Opera browser calls the similar options by the name of Off-road mode. Now Opera has come with a free VPN called Opera Max that is capable of providing the data saving features to all the apps in your Android device. Opera Max can compress the downloaded data using a VPN server and save the internet bandwidth. It is also able to block individual apps from accessing the internet altogether.
Though Opera Max is basically a VPN app, yet you do not find any VPN app like options in it. For example, you cannot choose the VPN server to your preference. After installing the Opera Max app, you can proceed and enable it to start saving the data consumption. From the menu of this app, you can see the mobile usage, WiFi usage and the blocked apps. For any of the mobile or WiFi usage, it shows the data requested and data saved along with a list of apps and how much data each of these apps used.
Blocking apps feature of Opera Max is also very useful and can reduce the data consumption in case some apps are downloading too much data all the time. In the settings for the Opera Max app, you can choose how much compression should be performed in the images and videos to reduce the data consumption. If you choose higher compression (savings), then it lowers the quality of the images or videos. You have to find one of the settings for data savings that you are satisfied with.
Opera Max for Android can reduce the data consumption whether you are accessing the internet through WiFi or mobile network. It can also block individual apps from accessing the internet. It is a very useful app if you are using a data pack provided by your mobile network.
You can download Opera Max for Android from http://www.opera.com/mobile/max.
Opera Max is now owned by Samsung and is now available as Samsung Max.