In this guide, we will explore the Memory Saver feature in Google Chrome that can help reduce RAM usage and improve the browser’s performance. Google Chrome is a powerful web browser with many features, but it can be quite resource-intensive, causing your computer to slow down. While adjusting a few settings can help reduce CPU and RAM usage, it’s not always enough. However, Chrome alternatives such as Microsoft Edge and Firefox can offer similar features without consuming as many resources. Nevertheless, Chrome has recently introduced a new Memory Saver feature, and we will delve into this feature in this article.
Memory Saver Mode on Google Chrome
If you’re using the latest version of Google Chrome, you can take advantage of the Memory Saver mode, which is available in Chrome version 108.0.5359.124 or later. This new feature frees memory from inactive tabs, meaning that if you have a tab playing a YouTube video that you’re not actively using, it can free up the memory from that tab. When you enable Memory Saver mode, the active tabs and other apps will have more computer resources, making Chrome faster, and the inactive tabs will become active again when you switch back to them. Although this feature is not well-marketed, it can significantly reduce memory consumption when using Chrome. Users who have tested this feature report that Chrome consumed almost 30% less memory when using Memory Saver mode.
How to Enable the Memory Saver Mode on Chrome?
To enable the Memory Saver mode on Chrome, you must have the latest version of the browser installed. Once you have the latest version, go to the Settings page and look for the new Performance tab. From there, you can turn on the Memory Saver mode to free up memory from inactive tabs.
If you can’t find the Memory Saver feature on the Performance tab, you can manually enable it from the Chrome experiment page. To do so, follow these steps:
- Update Google Chrome by clicking on the three dots, then selecting Help > About Google Chrome.
- Once the update is complete, copy and paste the following URL into the address bar: Chrome://flags.
3. On the Chrome Experiments page, search for ‘High Efficiency Mode‘
4. Next, click the drop-down for the ‘Enable the High Efficiency Mode feature in the settings‘ flag and select ‘Enabled‘.
5. After making the changes, click the Relaunch button at the bottom right corner.
That’s it! This will enable the High-Efficiency Mode feature on the Settings page of Google Chrome.
How to Use Memory Saver Mode on Google Chrome?
To use the Memory Saver mode after enabling the High-Efficiency Mode Settings on Chrome, follow these steps:
- Open Google Chrome and click on the three dots located in the top-right corner.
2. Select ‘Settings‘ from the list of options that appears.
3. On the right side, switch to the Performance tab.
4. On the right side, turn on the toggle for ‘Memory Saver‘.
By following the above steps, you can turn on the Memory Saver mode on Google Chrome. Additionally, if you use a laptop, you can also enable the “Energy Saver” mode to reduce battery consumption.
How to Always Keep Sites Active on Google Chrome?
To manually add sites to the active list while using the Memory Saver mode in Google Chrome, follow these steps:
- Open the Google Chrome browser and navigate to the Performance settings.
2. On the Performance Settings, click the ‘Add‘ button beside ‘Always keep these sites active’.
3. Add the site URL you wish to keep active while using the Memory Saver mode.
4. You need to repeat the steps for all sites you want to keep active all the time.
That’s it! This is how you can always keep sites active on Google Chrome while using the Memory Saver mode.
Other Ways to Reduce Google Chrome High Memory Usage?
Previously, users had to rely on various methods to reduce Google Chrome’s high memory and CPU usage. In a previous article, we shared eight ways to decrease RAM usage while using the Chrome browser.
The new Memory Saver and Energy Saver modes of Google Chrome can be particularly useful, especially for those with mid-end computers or laptops. If you require further assistance in enabling the Memory Saver mode on Google Chrome, feel free to ask in the comments section below. Also, if this article was helpful, don’t hesitate to share it with your friends.
