Chrome Running Slow: 7 Ways to Fix it Quickly

It can be frustrating when you’re in the middle of browsing the internet, and your browser suddenly becomes slow and unresponsive. Google Chrome is one of the fastest and most efficient web browsers. However, some factors might cause Chrome running slow.

This problem, which we’ve all faced at one time or another, might happen due to many factors, but we know that finding a solution can be a more challenging task, especially considering the number of issues your browser may be experiencing. 

Fortunately, there are easy ways to fix all of these problems and get your Chrome web browser running like new again. 

In this post, we will learn different ways to fix slow Google Chrome and enhance your browsing experience. The methods will work on the desktop version of any operating system.

Why is Chrome Running Slow?

When you experience Chrome is running slow immediately, a few possible reasons will come to mind. 

Here are the top reasons for a slow Google Chrome:

• Too many tabs are open
• Computer memory is running low
• Your internet connection is slow
• Too many extensions or apps installed on Chrome.
• Other system programs are eating up the RAM
• The Chrome web browser might be compromised by a malware program.
• Chrome might be outdated.

How to Fix Chrome Running Slow?

To fix slow Google Chrome, we should identify the cause first. One way is to restart your computer. That will help your computer clean up the memory and release any frozen programs causing your browser to run slow. If restarting your computer is not an option, open the Chrome task manager, which you can find in the three lines menu and under the Processes tab. Then you can see which programs and apps are taking up the most memory and causing the slow browser. You can then decide if you would like to close those tabs or programs. 

Here are the most common fixes to solve Chrome running slow problem.

Check your Internet Speed

If your internet is slow, your Chrome web browser will also be slow as it will have trouble loading pages. Make sure that your router is properly connected and check your internet connection speed. For that, you can try using Speedtest by Google. Simply click RUN SPEED TEST. Check the download and upload speed.

You’ll be able to see if your internet is having difficulty. If it is, try troubleshooting to fix the slow internet or wifi connection.

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Close Unused Tabs

You should know that each tab you launch on Chrome opens its own process. Each of these processes consumes many system resources, which can slow Google Chrome. So, it is essential to close your tabs after you finish browsing, not just because it will give you space to explore new pages but also because it will be easy on your browser. Keep the total number of tabs at five or lower. If you close unnecessary tabs, Chrome will be able to load your active tabs faster.

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Disable Chrome Extensions and Apps

You might often need a Chrome extension or app for accomplishing a particular task, so you might install them. However, after using it, many users forget to remove or disable extensions and apps. Like the tabs, installing too many extensions and apps can also highly slow down Chrome as Chrome consumes high system resources to keep them running. 

To fix the Chrome running slow issue, it is advisable to remove or disable the unrequired extensions. Here is how you can do that.

1. Open the Chrome Extension Page
2. Look for the extensions that you no longer require. Either remove them or toggle the button to disable them.

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Clear your Browsing Data

Google Chrome regularly accumulates the caches, browsing history, and other browsing data. If the data is too much, it might affect the browser performance and cause a slowdown.

If you are facing a slow Chrome browser, you can try cleaning your browsing data.

1. Open the Google Chrome web browser.
2. On the search bar Type chrome://settings/ and press Enter.
3. From the left pane, choose Privacy and security settings.
4. Under Privacy and security, click on Clear browsing data.
5. In the opened pop-up, switch to the Advanced tab, select Time Range, checkmark what you want to delete, and finally click on the Clear data button.

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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. 

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:

1. Open the Chrome web browser.
2. On the search bar Type chrome://settings/ and press Enter.
3. From the left pane, expand the Advanced menu, and choose System.
4. Under the System settings, toggle the button to turn off the Use Hardware Acceleration when available option.
5. You can also disable the continue running background apps option.

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Run Chrome Antimalware Scan

It is possible that a malware program has attacked your device, making Google Chrome running slow. To fix that, you can run the built-in Chrome antimalware scan that will delete any malicious program.

1. Open Chrome Settings, and from the left pane, expand the Advanced tab.
2. Under the Advanced settings, click on Reset and clean up.
3. Next, click on Clean up computer.
4. Under Clean up computer, click on the Find button to find and remove harmful software on your device.

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Update Chrome Web Browser

An outdated browser can also highly slow down the browsing and downloading speed of Chrome. 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 slow Google Chrome issue, follow these steps to check the browser is up to date with the latest version or not:

1. Click on the three dots icon at the top right and navigate to the Help -> About Google Chrome.
2. The browser will automatically search for the latest version and update itself.

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Summing Up

A slow Chrome web browser can be troublesome, especially when the majority of your work is dependent on the internet. The fixes listed in this post will help you in enhancing the speed of slow Google Chrome and make your web browsing and downloading experience better. However, you should know that this problem majorly occurs because of the slow internet. So, if you are continuously facing this issue, you should contact your ISP.