A slow browser is nobody’s idea of fun, but the good news is that if Google Chrome is running slowly, help is available. In this post, we will share several DIY tips to fix slow Chrome issues. So, let’s dive in.

Before anything else

It is easier to blame chrome for the slow browsing experience but the culprit could be something else. Check your internet speed, update your DNS settings, and check your network drivers. Low hard drive space or your antivirus could be the reasons behind slow browsing. Try using Edge, Firefox, or Safari. If you find them sluggish, Chrome is not to be blamed.

There is a possibility your internet is slow or your computer is outdated and lacks the hardware/software needed to handle fast internet connections. If your entire internet experience is sluggish, you need to update your network drivers. You can use DriverDownloader to update your network drivers automatically.

Here’s the link to download DriverDownloader

Start Download

If you have tried everything mentioned above, you can move ahead to slow chrome fixes.

Solution One – Close Open Tabs

Initially, Chrome loads the page faster. However, as you open more tabs, Chrome has to handle multiple processes which cause it to slow down. If you have multiple tabs open, you need to close unwanted tabs Closing tabs will reduce Chrome’s background processes and improve its performance.

You can check the system resource monitor to see the CPU and RAM usage go down after closing unwanted tabs in Chrome. You need to keep the tabs open you need to access frequently. Close other tabs to improve Chrome’s performance. You can bookmark tabs before closing them and revisit them when you need to access web pages again.

Solution Two – Update Chrome

Google updates Chrome browser frequently. There is a possibility you are using an outdated version of Chrome browser and missing the improved performance features in the latest Chrome version. If you look at the Chrome development history, you will find there have been performance issues in Chrome that were later fixed by updates.

You need to update your Chrome browser to the latest version by following the steps given below.

• Click three dots located on the top right corner of the Chrome browser.
• Click Settings
• Click About Chrome
• Chrome is designed to update automatically. When Chrome finishes installing updates, you need to relaunch the browser to use the latest Chrome version

Solution Three – Clear Old Files and Cache

When you access websites, Chrome captures and stores information about websites and internet sessions. Over time the old files and cache become huge and it may make the browser slow. A simple solution to this problem is deleting old internet files and cache. Here are the steps to follow

• Open Chrome Settings
• Click Privacy and Security in the left-hand pane
• Click Browsing data in the right-hand pane
• Click Basic tab
• Check the following options – Browsing history, cookies, and other site data, Cached images and files
• In the Time range – click All time from the drop-down list
• Click Clear Data

Solution Four – Disable Add-ons

Add-ons can slow down your Chrome browser. Many people install add-ons from the Chrome Web store to get additional features. Though Add-ons downloaded and installed from the Chrome Web store as safe, they consume system resources and may slow down your internet browser. If you have many add-ons installed, you need to disable them one by one and see if the performance improves. If you find the performance improves after disabling a specific add-on, you can conclude the add-on is the culprit behind slow Google chrome. You can keep it disabled or uninstall it to speed up Chrome. Here are the steps to follow.

• Open Chrome Settings
• Click More Tools -> Extensions
• You can click the slider for each extension to disable it.

<insert- slow chrome fixes-add-on>

• To uninstall the add-on, click Remove

Solution Five – Hardware Acceleration

Google comes with a feature known as Hardware Acceleration. It allows Chrome to advantage of your computer’s GPU to speed up processes and free vital CPU time. However, due to driver incompatibilities, the hardware acceleration may affect the performance of Chrome. Here we will check the status of Hardware Acceleration. If it is enabled and your Chrome is slow, try disabling it. If it is not enabled, try enabling it and see if the Chrome performance improves. Here are the steps to follow.

• Open Chrome Settings
• Click Advanced to reveal options
• Click System
• Look for the hardware acceleration option. Depending on its current status, you can enable or disable it

<insert- slow chrome fixes-hardware acceleration>

Solution Six – Enable Predictions

Google offers you page predictions feature based on your browsing data. When the prediction feature is On, you will experience increased speed while browsing. Here are the steps to follow.

• Type chrome://settings/syncSetup in the Omni box
• Enable the following options on the page
• Make searches and browsing better
• Google Drive search suggestions

The solutions given above are effective in most cases and many users were able to fix the Slow Chrome issue by following the solutions given in the post.