Like Operating Systems, browsers have also become equally important for every computer user. I mean, just think yourself, when was the last time you turned off your PC without using a browser on it after turning it ON?
When it comes to browsers, Google Chrome is the king. It is a pretty fast and smooth browser, but sometimes it can become sluggish and cause disturbance in your workflow. A slow browser can ruin your browsing experience and delay your work. It can also highly affect your downloading speed.
If you are looking for ways to speed up Chrome browser, you are at the right place at the right time.
This post will describe the best ways to speed up Chrome browser and make your browsing experience great again.
Table of Contents
Why Chrome becomes 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- Chrome might be outdated.
- Recent Windows update
Top ways to Speed up Chrome
If you are struggling with the slow Chrome browser, here are the top ways to make it faster.
Update Google Chrome Browser
An outdated browser can also highly slow down browsing and downloading. To speed up Chrome and for a better experience, it is essential to keep your browser and other applications up to date. Usually, the Chrome browser automatically updates itself, but sometimes it might not.
If you want to speed up the Google Chrome browser, 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.
Remove Unwanted Extensions
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. Installing too many extensions and apps can also highly slow down Chrome as Chrome consumes high system resources to keep them running.
To speed up your Chrome browser, it is advisable to remove or disable the unrequired extensions. Here is how you can do that.
- Open the Chrome Extension Page
- Look for the extensions that you no longer require. Either remove them or toggle the button to disable them.
Enable Page Preload to Speed up Chrome
Chrome has an excellent in-built feature for faster browsing, known as Page Preload. It reduces the waiting time by downloading the selected page before the user actually requests it to be opened. This works by looking at every link on the page you’re viewing and predicting which links you’re likely to click on next.
To enable the page preloading on Chrome, follow these steps:
- Click on the three vertical dots and choose Settings from Chrome.
- Under Settings, switch to Privacy & security tab on the left pane.
- Under Privacy & security, click on Cookies and other site data.
- Scroll down and toggle the button to enable Preload pages for faster browsing and searching.
Reset Chrome Theme to default
One of the great things about Chrome is that it provides you with a lot of customizable options to play with. One of those is changing the default theme and customizing it to your preference. However, customizing the theme can put a load on your RAM and make the Chrome browser slow.
To speed up Chrome, you should reset your customized theme to default.
- Launch Google Chrome browser and open the Settings.
- On the left pane, click on Appearance to open its settings.
- Under Appearance settings, click on Reset to default, next to Theme option.
Close Unwanted Processes and 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.
To know which tab is unnecessarily consuming the resources, you can open the Chrome Task Manager.
- Click the three-dot icon to open the settings menu and navigate to the More tools -> Task manager.
- Under Task Manager, one by one, select the tabs that are unnecessarily opened and using the resources and click End Process.
Run Chrome Cleanup Tool to Speed Up Chrome
It is possible that a malware program has attacked your device, making Google Chrome run slow. To fix that and speed up your Chrome browser, you can run the built-in Chrome Cleanup tool 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 feel the Chrome browser is still slow, you should try resetting it 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 is an excellent browser with lots of features and customization options. However, too much of everything can become a curse. It is essential to keep the Chrome browser clean and optimized so that your browsing experience is always top-notch while working, gaming, entertainment, or anything.
The fixes listed in this post will help you clear the clutter and customize the settings to speed up Chrome browser.