I know it’s pathetic and painful to have a slow browser, especially Google Chrome, which claims to be faster than competitors. I’m an avid Chrome user and have been using it for years.
There are a lot of factors that can eventually make Google Chrome slow and deteriorate page loading. We’re stuck with one question: Why is Google Chrome so slow?
Some of the common problems which users face when using the Chrome browser are:
- Lags while searching in the search bar and switching between tabs.
- YouTube keeps buffering and displays white space.
- The web page is prolonged to render fully.
- Frequent receiving Aw snap! Something went wrong error while displaying the web pages.
I have experienced all these issues at some time or the other on my Chrome browser. These issues are alarming and consume a lot of time. I ask myself time and again: Why is Google Chrome so slow?
In this article, I’ve mentioned all the tips and techniques I tested and used to fix my chrome browser lags and improve the web page loading speed. And guess what? My chrome loads super fast, like never before!
Note: These tips will help with Chrome’s web browsing speed and improve the chrome browser lags and slowness, whether switching between tabs or launching Chrome on PC or macOS.
These are some of the reasons which can make the web page loading too slow in Chrome:
- Disruptive internet connection.
- Background apps and digital downloads.
- Software and program updates.
- Limited local storage and hardware support.
- Inflicting Chrome extensions.
We need to ensure that we do not have any of these problems that can cause Chrome to become unresponsive and eventually start lagging.
Update Google Chrome to the latest
It’s essential to keep the Chrome browser updated. If you are running the latest stable version of Chrome, then consider half of the problem is already solved.
Generally, the latest software releases have performance improvements and bug fixes. If you’re running the older version of Chrome, there are high chances for any security or program bugs that affect the performance. It may cause Chrome to become unstable and impact page loading speed.
All you need is to upgrade the Google Chrome browser to the latest available build to eliminate slowness.
You can check the latest version and update Chrome by following these steps:
- Launch Chrome browser on the computer.
- Hit on More
for options and settings. - Hover and navigate to Help > About Google Chrome.
- Google Chrome will automatically check the latest official builds.
If any new version is available, Chrome will update and ask to relaunch once the update is completed.
Navigate to Help > About Google Chrome section until you see the message “Google Chrome is up to date“.
We have now successfully updated Google chrome. Just test if this has improved Google chrome and page loading speed and answer your question: Why is Chrome so slow?
Disable Chrome Extensions and Blockers
There is a high possibility of any extension inflicting the network connection and page loading. I wrote an article about a page loading issue because of an ad blocker extension.
Disable all the extensions and check if the loading issue persists. You can temporarily disable the Chrome extensions from settings.
Follow these steps to disable or remove the chrome extension:
- Launch Chrome Browser on the computer
- Open Chrome Settings from the More menu list.
- Select the Extensions tab from the left sidebar on the Settings page.
OR you can also visit the chrome://extensions/ in your Chrome browser. - Switch the toggle button against each extension to disable it.
- Relaunch your Chrome browser.
Now test the page loading speed. If you see any improvement, then extensions are probably the culprit for causing the slowing of the browser. It will also answer why Chrome is so slow.
Toggle the switch to turn ON each extension one by one to test if any specific is causing an issue. Most of the time, the ad blockers and site blocker extensions are blocking resources which causes a slow page loading issue.
Defer Apps and Software Updates
We might have left the software and application update in the background, which is up all the bandwidth. It leaves less room for Chrome to use the internet, loading the web pages relatively slowly.
The typical macOS and Windows OS updates are in a few GBs, which can use up all the network data speed even if software program updates like Microsoft Office or Final Cut Pro are also bulky in size and may cause Google Chrome to slow.
In this case, disable the updates temporarily until you need good bandwidth for browsing. You can defer the updates overnight so your work is not hampered in the daytime.
Just check the network monitor to understand where the bandwidth is used.
- For Windows OS, you can check the Task Manager > Network Utilization.
- For macOS, you can check the Activity Monitor > Network.
If any ongoing updates or programs use most bytes and network packs, pause it temporarily and enjoy good speed on your Chrome for browsing.
Clear Cache and Memory Storage
It is the first and fundamental thing every chrome browser user would suggest to you. And, of course, this works at times but not every time. Browser caching is a technique for improving the browsing speed of a frequently visited site.
Unless your Chrome is heavily loaded with obsolete cache and storage, removing waste is a good idea to improve the chrome speed.
Follow these steps to clear cache and memory storage from Chrome:
- Launch your slow Chrome browser.
- Hit on More for options, and select Settings from the list.
- Lookup for the Clear browsing data option; you can even use the search bar within the Settings page.
- Open Clear browsing data and switch to the Advanced tab.
- From the Time range dropdown, select All time.
- Select the checkboxes against — Browsing history, Download history, Cookies and other site data, Cached images and files, Site settings, and Hosted app data.
- Do not select the Passwords and other sign-in data and Auto-fill form data option unless you want to delete these data completely.
- Finally, hit on command button.
It will clear all your local chrome browser’s existing cache data and storage memory. Quit and restart the browser to test the chrome responsiveness and web page loading speed.
Note: Clearing cache and cookies storage will sign out all the accounts on your browser. You may need to re-login again.
Upgrade the Storage and Hardware Support
Let me share my personal experience here.
I have a Windows PC running on the HDD (the good old mechanical hard disk) with 8 GB of RAM. Whenever I used to start my Windows PC or even open any application, it would take a lot of time. Imagine the startup time of 28 seconds!!
I checked the Task Manager for performance; I encountered disk utilization as 100% and thought of upgrading the HDD to SSD (Solid State Drive) storage. It was expensive but worth upgrading the hardware. Now my booting time is 4 seconds. Heavy software programs and even the chrome browser are launched in a snap.
I still use the old HDD as an external hard disk and backup if anything goes wrong with Windows 10 OS. You can watch this video tutorial about migrating Windows OS from HDD to SSD.
Apart from migrating to SSD, we also need to consider the storage space, which plays an equal role in running the chrome browser. If you do not have enough space in Macintosh HD or
C:\\Drive in Windows, Chrome, or any program will misbehave and respond slowly to all the requests.
Upgrading the hardware should be last on your list. But, as I said, it’s worth it. I’m enjoying the Chrome browser on my Windows PC.
Improve Slow Chrome browser
Here are a few other tips that are worth mentioning to improve the Chrome loading speed:
- Run through Anti-virus and Anti-malware scans.
- In Windows, you can run the Cleaner app.
- Check your ISP fluctuations and network problem, if any.
- Verify if the downgraded version on Google Chrome works.
- Reinstall Chrome on your Machine to notice any changes.
- Toggle “Use hardware acceleration when available” under Chrome> Settings > Advanced > System to check which mode is better, either OFF or ON.
- Turn off Experimental QUIC Protocol by navigating to chrome://flags, search for QUIC, and disable it from the dropdown.
- You can download Chrome Canary for the unstable version of Google Chrome built for developers; however, the updates are frequent and nightly.
- Update Operating System to the latest version.
I hope this will answer your recurring question: Why is Google Chrome so slow?
Alternatives to Google Chrome
Here are a few notable alternatives for the Google Chrome web browser.
- Mozilla Firefox (my preference)
- Microsoft Edge (it’s Chromium-based, just like Google Chrome)
- Opera Browser
- Apple Safari (only available for MacOS)
Bottom Line: Google Chrome Slow
I find these techniques effective in every case. I have Macbook Air, and these tips to improve Google Chrome browsing slowness work in macOS.
It helped me be more effective and efficient at all times. I could also find the question: Why is Google Chrome so slow?
Let me know what has worked and fix the chrome browser slowness. Whether disabling the extensions or clearing the storage cache? I’d like to hear from you.
Also, please mention if any other method has worked for you that I haven’t added to the list.
F.A.Q: Chrome Browser Slow
We have listed a few of the frequently asked questions related to the slowness of the Chrome browser and how to fix it:
How to solve the problem of Google Chrome running Slow?
You can try several fixes to solve Chrome’s running slow problem, such as updating to the latest Chrome version, Clearing cache, Disable extensions and blockers, or you can also try updating your hardware and software.
Why is the Chrome browser running Slow?
There might be several issues behind Chrome running slow such as pending Chrome updates, interrupted internet connection, limited local storage, inflicting extensions, etc.
How to Clear the Cache in Google Chrome?
To clear the cache in Chrome, hit the three dots in the top right corner and click on settings. Now, look for precise browsing data and open it. In the advanced option, check the box per your preferences and tap on Clear data.
Turn off themes. Loading a theme into a new tab can add several seconds to your experience.
Nice for all suggestion s above but what can we do if we cant migrade disk and we have 4 ram . its so stupid still in myu country sale 4ram laptops and google desided to be a platform eating everything how not be slow . why we have to forced to buy new equpment juts for browsing its crazy all that and al lwas great before last upgrades this year so its their problem to fix it and not us to buy new machines i have 3 laptops in my house al l4ram it si stupid and expensive sport to buy and buy and buy every year new equipment jus tcause some developers want to tes t their knowlege to simple users . ist better to make something new only for thsoe who need it and not to make all us saffer ist cobid year noone has money to spend on anythong and will be many years that wil lbe the same . Make them give us back the light browser we loved all that years . and the ycan keep this mansters for thsoe who need them , organizations and offices .
Anyway no browser its working well interent its not free anymore for real 🙁
Windows 10 is has very slow reacting time comparing with Windows 7.
I updated to Windows 10 with fast CPU and 16 Gb Ram. I was using the same stile and noticed that the respond time of Copy/paste is very slow, almost 7 seconds when in Windows 7 less than 1 second. It is just disgrace for the Windows 10. What to do? To go back to Windows 7 / the brilliant program and the brilliant programmers left behind. Where this world is going. All around are law qualified specialists with big judgments.
Hello Andre, Microsoft has enhanced Windows 10 with tonnes of features that weren’t available in Windows 7 and earlier. These features consume RAM and CPU processes even in the background hence making a bottleneck for new processes. You uninstall the unnecessary programs and also kill the processes that are not needed. You can run ‘msconfig’ to configure the startup programs and processes.
Perhaps, you can also upgrade the hard disc from HDD to SSD, this will significantly improve the speed. I personally upgraded on my old DELL laptop and it’s running smooth.
ok its better
Hey – thanks – turning off the experimental QUIC helped me! I wouldn’t have found this otherwise. Thanks.
Thanks , your tips worked fine ! Now Chrome is smooth and fast
i have never done this. im afraid ill mess up my computer.ill try any thing once.
if you do download google chrome it wont mess up your stuff will it im sorry for asking this.thanks for the info.
Hello Heniretta, what kind of stuff? Do you mean bookmarks?
Some suggestions might work. But the most important one is – never update great working software and OS. All those croporations are lying – their software constantly getting slower and it is fact. Just run their software on older computer where you worked normally all those years and was getting things done. And “tonnes of features” is distraction and fad. Worst is that they use artificial restrictions to force you buy new things you don’t need. Best wishes to all.
Thank you so much! My Chrome was SO slow. I went to chrome://extensions and Developer Mode was on. I turned it off and disabled some extensions and things seem to be going better.
It turns out it was actually Hardware Acceleration. Once I disabled that, Chrome speed was REALLY fast.
If you already cleared, you’re SOL. Gone is gone.
I accidentally check the box for passwords and other sign-in data and auto-fill form data. How can I repair my mistakes?
Hello Grace, you can follow this guide on chrome passwords. All you need is to disable the autofill option.
This was most helpful. Extensions seemed to be the main culprit this time. Thanks for your knowledge, experience, and guidance.
This was really helpful and the guide steps were very clear.
I removed extensions .
I also use Norton and have found that it uses resources like a juggernaut but it seemed to be crossing over into the disk usage 100% stats, however cache clearance seems to have made , as expected , some improvement
Thank you so much
Cool! I’ve tried a few methods here and it works! TQ so much!
Turning off hardware acceleration & relaunching worked instantly. Weird!!!
Turning off hardware acceleration is the solution I hear years, I upgrade my system double my ram got SSD and still many sites are loading so slow .. . you think we are developers ? we have to remove the unused future you download in our systems ? that is out of mind. You have to give the chance to any who need the feature to install it by his will and no force million for some mods that worth nothing for most of us you killing our properties our laptops our desktops with all that … I still can surf smoothly I need back my win7 the best of the best edition.
I had the Chrome slow issue with several PCs. But I didn’t know how to fix it. Through this article, the problem has been solved. I appreciate it very much!
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve searched for answers to this problem that so many users are struggling with. Most of the responses, from Google and a plethora of techie websites, are just the usual boilerplate, which of course most of us have already tried repeatedly. Occasionally, these fix the issue for some user configurations. But mostly not, from what I can see/read. Some of the forum responses are even worse (For FS, why even post if you are only guessing? … literally “I guess you should try X”). Google knows unequivocally that there are deep problems as their browser has become more bloated and is driven by greater amounts of code designed to scrape personal data, but they are uninterested in making it run properly. The problems seemed to get worse as of a year ago (2021), but people have been remarking with greater frequency on this since at least 2019. I can’t say what it’s like on MacOS, but on Windows 7/8/10 (and probably Win11) it’s a POS. I’m done. I’m now seriously searching for a truly non-Chromium browser.
it takes a lot longer to load now than it ever did ,the only time it runs at an acceptable speed is on a fresh install, now so slow gone over to firefox which at least runs at a decent speed, ten is the worst os ever released, and 11 is no better xp worked well for years and all browsers were happy to run on it ,you lot just got lazy and made to much money to care about the end users it will all get worse and soon you lot will be left in the dark wondering where it all went wrong
Thank you so much. Straight away the first solution worked for me. I have been having issues for so long. It was so frustrating especially since I was trying so many other things and nothing was working.
Much much appreciation
Wow, this content is really helpful.
All is great, but why must USERS always fix the suppliers’ problems ? The bottom line is that CHROME ITSELF is getting slower with every upgrade – NOT faster as the claim !
Hi – I disabled the experimental QUIC protocol under experiments but there is a long list of experiments – some are set at default, disabled or enabled. At the top of that page it says: Experiments
WARNING: EXPERIMENTAL FEATURES AHEAD! By enabling these features, you could lose browser data or compromise your security or privacy. Enabled features apply to all users of this browser. If you are an enterprise admin you should not be using these flags in production.
My question is: should all of the “experiments” be disabled?
Faced same issue,
Chrome internet speed is very slow when compared to other browsers like edge/brave.
Tried clear cache cookies temp files restart browser restart system restarted wifi ran network reset cmds
still no go
reinstall Chrome browser
still no go
tried IO bit, io driver booster
still no go
uninstalled it using revo unstaller
tried antivirus check, uninstalled antivirus using revo uninstaller and ran malware bytes to check malware
still no use
downloaded wifi drivers from website
then
device manager disabled and re enabled wifi driver
uninstalled and reinstalled wifi driver
restarted system and checked the issue is resolved.
Chrome internet speed is back and working as it used to!!
note: no hardware change made but still faced the issue!!
note2: issue started after a windows update!!
hit like if helpful!