Chrome Running Slow? How To Speed It Up

When your tabs drag and pages take forever to load, your browser is likely struggling under the weight of too many background processes or outdated cache files. You do not need to reinstall Chrome to get your speed back; you just need to prune the extensions you aren't using and optimize the way Chrome handles your system memory.

Why this happens

Extensions running in the background and a bloated cache database are the two most common reasons Chrome performance degrades over time. Chrome also defaults to aggressive memory usage which can quickly overwhelm your system RAM if not restricted.

Steps

1. 01
   Click the three dots in the top right corner of Chrome, select 'Extensions', then click 'Manage extensions'. Flip the toggle off for any extensions you do not actively use to stop them from running background processes.
2. 02
   Press 'Ctrl + Shift + Delete' on your keyboard to open the 'Clear browsing data' window. Set the time range to 'All time', check 'Cached images and files' along with 'Cookies and other site data', and click 'Delete data'.
3. 03
   Open Chrome 'Settings' from the three-dot menu, click 'Performance' in the left sidebar, and toggle 'Memory Saver' to 'On' to suspend inactive tabs.
4. 04
   In the same 'Performance' tab, toggle 'Energy Saver' to 'On' to limit background activity when you are not actively using the window.
5. 05
   Click the three dots, go to 'Settings', then 'System'. Toggle 'Use graphics acceleration when available' to 'On' and click the 'Relaunch' button to apply the change.

Still not working?

If Chrome is still sluggish after these steps, check your Windows Task Manager by right-clicking the Start button. If Chrome is still consuming massive amounts of CPU or RAM even with Memory Saver active, you may have a corrupted user profile; try creating a new browser profile to see if the performance issues persist.

Frequently asked questions

Will clearing my cache delete my saved passwords or bookmarks?

No, clearing your cached images and files will not remove your saved passwords or bookmarks as long as you leave the 'Passwords' and 'Bookmarks' options unchecked in the clear data menu.

Does 'Memory Saver' make pages reload?

Yes, when you click back onto an inactive tab, Chrome will reload the page content to ensure you are seeing the most up-to-date version, but it keeps your place on the page.

Should I uninstall extensions I do not recognize?

If you see an extension you definitely did not install, you should remove it entirely rather than just toggling it off, as unrecognized extensions are often the primary cause of browser hijacking and severe slowdowns.