The web browser is one of the programs we use the most today. After all, it is the main gateway to the Internet. The problem with browsers is that they have become very large and heavy programs. And that is noticeable, especially in relatively old or not very powerful computers. If we are users of Google Chrome , and we are noticing that lately the browser, or the computer in general, is slower than it should, these simple tricks will allow you to increase its speed to the maximum.
There are many factors that influence the speed and performance of the web browser. The Internet may be slow due to lack of memory, or due to old hardware. It may be due to having many extensions installed on it. And it can even happen that the problem is due to an external program, or a malicious program.
Next, we are going to see the main actions we should take if we have problems with Chrome and how to speed up its operation.
Update Chrome to the latest version
Every few days, Google releases a new version of Chrome. There are updates that focus on correcting security problems, others that add new functions to the browser, and others that correct errors and improve its performance. Be that as it may, it is vital to make sure that we always have the latest version of it installed on the PC.
By default, Google Chrome searches for new versions every day and, if it finds them, it automatically downloads and installs them without us having to do anything. Once downloaded, the next time we open the browser the update will be installed and we will be able to enjoy its news. However, we can force the search for new updates by opening the Options menu> Help> About Google Chrome. Or by typing “chrome: // settings / help” in the address bar.
Remove all unnecessary extensions
Extensions are small programs that are installed in the browser itself and allow us to have all kinds of functions at hand that, by default, are not part of it. The extensions are very useful, and even essential we could say. But they have a problem, and that is that they consume a lot of resources and a lot of memory. And they are one of the reasons why the browser can be slow.
If we write in the address bar “chrome: // extensions /” we will be able to see all the extensions that we have installed. Some are probably disabled, but many others will be enabled. The latter are the ones that consume the most resources on our PC.
We must review all the extensions, think about which ones we really need and disable (or delete completely) all the others. In this way we will avoid consuming resources unnecessarily, and Chrome will work faster.
Many tabs open? Close everything you don’t need
Browsing by tabs revolutionized the way we surf the Internet to the point that today we could not conceive of it otherwise. However, each tab that we have open at the same time consumes memory and CPU. And it depends on the type of page it is, the resource expenditure can be much higher than expected.
If we are one of those who accumulate dozens and dozens of tabs , then we must rethink whether we really need to have so many websites open at the same time (since many of us probably don’t even need them) and close all those that are not essential.
We can close the tabs from the X that appears next to them, in the top bar, or with the keyboard shortcut Control + W.
Locate the processes that consume the most
Don’t we know exactly what is consuming the most memory in the browser? Chrome includes a simple task manager that will help us find out. We can open this task manager using the keyboard shortcut Shift + Esc, and it will allow us to see all the processes that Google Chrome is executing.
We can see all the open webs (and how much each one consumes memory and CPU), as well as all the extensions. In this way we are going to see what is consuming the most resources (and therefore, what makes the PC go slow) and finish it with a single click.
Accelerate the loading of websites in Chrome
The normal thing is that the browser loads the web page when we click on its link. However, Google Chrome has a function, called ” Preload the pages for faster browsing and searches “, which what it does is use the information it has about us to “anticipate” our query. In this way, Google Chrome can try to guess which website we are going to visit next and download its information before clicking.
We can activate this option from the Settings> Privacy and security> Cookies and other site data. Or also by typing “chrome: // settings / cookies” directly into the address bar.
Avoid using many programs at the same time
Chrome itself already consumes a lot of memory. And if we add to that other heavy programs (such as download clients, Photoshop, Premiere, Office, etc.), then we will make the computer go even slower. If our PC does not stand out precisely for the RAM memory, and we have 8 GB, or less, then we must be a little more careful in this regard.
If we are going to surf the Internet for a long time (for leisure, or for work), then it is best to leave all other programs aside. In this way all the resources of the PC will be dedicated to the browser and, therefore, we will be able to navigate much better.
Check if we have malware in Chrome or on the PC
Another reason why our browser may be slow is due to malware. We may have a virus on the computer, or that a malicious program has crept into the browser itself, in the form of an extension. Either way, we have to eliminate it.
In the case of the PC, for example, we can send our antivirus (for example, Windows Defender) to scan the PC for malware. And in the case of Chrome, we can use its “Clean computer” function, which can be found in Settings> Recover settings and delete, so that it is in charge of looking for threats both in the browser and in the PC itself.
Restore Chrome to its default values
It often happens that, over time, the Chrome profile ends up full of junk files and unnecessary settings. And that implies that we will have problems. Therefore, if we have reached this point and remain the same, we can choose to restore the original values of the browser.
Chrome will delete our profile, along with all the information related to it (Google account, extensions, browsing data, cookies, passwords …) and it will recover a completely clean instance of it. As newly installed. Thus, the problems should have disappeared.
Other aspects that we must review
In addition to all of the above, if we want to navigate much faster than we have done so far, we can also check the following aspects of the connection:
- What Internet speed we have contracted. Today’s websites are quite large, and if we have an old ADSL connection, then the Internet will go excessively slow.
- Check that we do not have other programs downloading or uploading data to the Internet.
- Are you connected by Wi-Fi? Check that the signal arrives correctly and, above all, it does not have interference or micro cuts.
- Update Windows and PC drivers, it usually helps.