Google Chrome is certainly one of the best and most robust browsers, but it is not free of issues. Many users face different types of troubles while using Chrome for browsing the internet. One of those is Chrome Flickering.
If you’re experiencing Chrome flickering, you’re not alone. This is a common issue that many users experience. In this blog post, we will discuss the causes of Chrome flickering and how to fix it!
Table of Contents
Why does Chrome Flickers?
There could be various reasons why Chrome starts screen flickering. Some of them are listed and explained below:
- Hardware Issues: There could be hardware issues when the hardware acceleration of Chrome is enabled. Some low-end graphics cards can’t handle both GPU and CPU demands simultaneously, resulting in flickering when they are in high demand.
- Outdated Drivers: If your graphics card drivers are out of date, they can cause issues leading to Chrome flickering.
- GPU Load Issues: The GPU may get overloaded when using resource-intensive applications on your system. So when you launch Chrome, it can lead to Chrome Flicker.
- Antivirus/Firewall Issues: If you are using third-party Antivirus or Firewall service, they can conflict with Chrome.
- Outdated OS: If you’re using an outdated version of Windows, it may cause issues as well. Chrome mostly works fine on Windows 11, 10, and 8.1, but if your operating system isn’t up to date, Chrome can have some issues.
Best ways to Fix Chrome Flickering
Check if it’s Webpage Issue
Sometimes flickering can happen to a heavy website or webpage. So before applying any troubleshooters, check if the problem is with the browser or the website you visit. For that open that webpage on different browsers. If the problem is limited only to Chrome, move to further sections to apply fixes.
Update your Graphics Card Driver
One of the leading causes for Chrome Flickering is the outdated graphic card driver. An outdated driver might be restricting Chrome to utilize the graphics card power.
Follow these steps to update the display drivers.
- Right-click on the Windows icon and select the Device Manager.
- Expand Display adapters, right-click on the graphic card driver, and choose Update.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to update it.
Always ensure that not only the graphic card drivers but all other drivers should also be updated regularly. If you find it tedious to check for and update the drivers manually, you can get the third-party advanced driver updater software.
Disable Hardware Acceleration
Hardware Acceleration is a performance feature that loads complicated web pages faster by using your GPU to display images and graphics instead of a computer’s processor. Though it is a pretty helpful feature, sometimes it may lower the performance of Chrome and cause screen flickering.
If your Chrome web browser is painfully slow, you can modify its Settings and disable Hardware Acceleration. To do this, you can follow these steps:
- Open the Chrome web browser.
- On the search bar Type chrome://settings/ and press Enter.
- From the left pane, expand the Advanced menu, and choose System.
- Under the System settings, toggle the button to turn off the Use Hardware Acceleration when available option.
- You can also disable the continue running background apps option.
Adjust Smooth Scrolling Flag
Sometimes Chrome flickers only while scrolling. This might be because of the wrongly configured Smooth Scrolling Flag of Chrome.
So, to fix that, you can try reconfiguring the Smooth Scrolling and check if the problem persists. Here is how to do that:
- Launch Chrome browser and navigate to the chrome://flags.
- Search for the Smooth Scrolling flag.
- Adjust its Settings. Set is either Enabled or Disabled and check which one solves the problem.
Update Chrome Web Browser
An outdated browser can be full of glitches and can cause troubles to the user, including screen flickering. It is essential to keep your browser and other applications up to date for a better experience. Usually, the Chrome browser automatically updates itself, but sometimes it might not.
If you face the Google Chrome Screen Flickering issue, follow these steps to check the browser is up to date with the latest version or not:
- Click on the three dots icon at the top right and navigate to the Help -> About Google Chrome.
- The browser will automatically search for the latest version and update itself.
Run Chrome Virus Scan
It is possible that a malware program has attacked your device, causing Chrome to flicker. To fix that, you can run the built-in Chrome antimalware scan that will delete any malicious program.
- Open Chrome Settings, and from the left pane, expand the Advanced tab.
- Under the Advanced settings, click on Reset and clean up.
- Next, click on Clean up computer.
- Under Clean up computer, click on the Find button to find and remove harmful software on your device.
Reset Chrome Browser
Even after trying the above fixes, if you still experience the Google Chrome screen flickering, you should try resetting Chrome to default. Resetting would clear all the unwanted settings and refresh the browser like new.
To reset Chrome browser, follow these steps:
- Go to the Chrome settings page and expand the Advanced Settings.
- Under Advanced settings, click on Reset and clean up.
- On the next page, Restore settings to their original default.
- On the confirmation popup, click on Reset settings.
Summing Up
Chrome flickering can be annoying, but all you need to do is apply some troubleshooting tips and eliminate the problem. Hopefully, these tips work for you! If none of them did help, try reinstalling Chrome (can solve 90% of issues).
