Google Chrome has flexible design settings, integration of Google services, a huge store of useful and not-so-useful extensions, and many other advantages.
But at the same time, the browser is “famous” for its bulkiness and hard loads, even on the coolest desktops and expensive laptops.
Besides using the best software for PC performance, knowing some tricks to help Chrome perform better is crucial if you want a smooth experience using your computer.
This article will discuss tips and tricks to speed up Google Chrome and make it as comfortable as possible.
What Are the Best Google Chrome Productivity Tips?
Currently, Chrome is the most popular browser cross-platform. However, it’s not without faults. The following hacks and tricks for Chrome will help you change the way you work
1. Close Extra Tabs
Obvious but the truest advice, which for some reason, many people forget about and keep open all the tabs that should be bookmarked.
Multiple tabs can quickly bog down your browser performance, so try to limit how many tabs you have open at once.
Additionally, you are free to save as many tab groups as you like and access them later. Tab groups are a great way to save open tabs. To create a tab group, right-click the tab you want to group and click on “Add Tab to New Group.”
2. Clean Your Browser of Unnecessary Extensions
Sometimes you can find many forgotten Chrome extensions, and there are still a dozen active but rarely used ones. That might be why the system slows down even with 8 GB of RAM.
You should periodically go to the extensions menu (enter chrome://extensions in the search box) and check if any unnecessary or unused ones.
Individually, they do not greatly affect the performance of the program. But if only a couple of them exist, the browser often slows down.
3. Clear Your Browser Cache
The Google Chrome cache stores data from sites that have been visited—this should aid in speeding up the website’s loading time. But if you have an appropriate machine and a regular Internet service, this cached data is absolutely unnecessary as it makes the browser incredibly slow.
Type chrome://settings/clearBrowserData into the search box to fast clear the cache. Put checkmarks next to the data you want to clear and set the time range.
4. Block Pop-ups in Chrome
Online advertisements and pop-ups frequently don’t close and make jarring noises, which is bothersome. If you do not want to deal with this problem manually, then you can use the pop-up blocker for Chrome.
Browser developers have begun adding functionality to their products to combat pop-up banners. And Google Chrome is no exception. To block pop-ups in Chrome, you need to follow these steps:
1. Go to “Preferences” and click the “Privacy and security” tab.
2. Select “Pop-ups and redirects.”
3. If you want to disable Chrome pop-ups, click “Don’t allow sites to send pop-ups or use redirects.”
This way, that annoying pop-up window will not bother you the next time you visit your favorite website.
5. Turn off Smooth Scrolling
A setting in Google Chrome’s hidden menu makes page scrolling more effortless. It is disabled by default, but if it’s on, this is how you disable smooth scrolling:
- Log in to the Google Chrome browser.
- Enter chrome://flags/#smooth-scrolling in the URL entry field.
- Press enter.
- Next to the function name on the right side, select “Disabled.”
- Click on the Google Chrome “Relaunch” button below for the settings to take effect.
If you disable this feature, your computer will run more smoothly, preventing Google Chrome crashes.
6. Install Updates
This is an obvious piece of advice many people forget about, trusting everything to automation or chance. Check your browser frequently for new updates to ensure that it operates as quickly and efficiently as possible.
You can personalize anything in the most recent versions of Chrome, even when updates occur.
You can use the following steps to see if you are using the most recent Chrome version:
- In the top right corner, click the three dots.
- Choose “Help” from the drop-down menu.
- Click on “About Google Chrome” to check for updates.
7. Raster Streams
The browser’s special “Number of raster threads” feature shows images in the correct format. The duration it takes for images to load in the browser can be significantly decreased by expanding the number of threads in the flags section. Since the page may have a variable number of images, this could impact how quickly the website loads.
- To access the flags page, type chrome:/flags into your browser’s address bar or search bar.
- Select the “Number of raster threads” option from the general list of flags, or use the search function to find it.
- Select “4″ from the drop-down list. When you make your selection, the box will turn blue, and the system will ask you to restart the browser to enable the effect.
This will boost the browser’s performance by enabling it to employ the greatest possible number of threads that can quickly download various images.
8. Keyboard Shortcuts
Google Chrome shortcuts can help you save time and increase your productivity by allowing you to quickly access commonly used webpages, switch between opened tabs, open new windows/tabs, and more.
With these shortcuts, you can quickly navigate different websites without manually clicking on menu items or using your mouse.
Here are some of the most useful Chrome shortcuts to boost your productivity:
• Ctrl + T: Open a new tab page
• Ctrl + N: Open a new window
• Ctrl + W: Close the current tab
• Ctrl + Shift + T: Reopen the recently closed tab
• Ctrl + Tab: Switch to the next tab
• Ctrl + Shift + Tab: Switch to the previous tab
People who use Chrome as part of their work will find these shortcuts life saviors.
9. Use Hardware Acceleration
Enabling hardware acceleration can help increase your browser’s performance when playing videos or 3D graphics games on websites like YouTube or Facebook Games.
Go to “System” and select “Use hardware acceleration when available” to activate this feature.
10. Manage Search Engines
This advice will be helpful if you utilize multiple search engines instead of Google search results only. You can use it to search specific websites without going to the search site, saving a ton of time every day.
By default, Google’s search engine is your browser’s homepage. To turn Google Chrome more productive and search other search engines without going to their website, follow the steps below.
Go to “Settings” and select “Search engine.”
If you want to search on Ecosia, you can simply type in ecosia.org on the browser’s search bar.
Next, press Tab or use your preferred shortcut (Space or Tab are the shortcuts by default), and you’ll see the address bar changes to Ecosia’s search engine.
Finally, type in your query and press enter to see the results from that search engine. It’s a great time saver and makes it easier to find what you’re looking for quickly.
11. Open Specific Pages on Startup
To make your life easier, Chrome has an option that lets you open a specific page on startup.
On Settings, click on “On Start-up” and select the option “Open a specific page or set of pages.” This will boost your productivity as all the pages you need for your work will load once you open the Chrome application.
However, the option “Continue where you left off” can be a time-saver when the power goes out (especially if you have dozens of opened tabs).
12. Use favicons for bookmarks In Chrome
Instead of using the entire URL text, you can create bookmarks using only the website’s favicons.
First, ensure that Three Dots > Bookmarks > Show Bookmarks Bar is checked. Then, remember to remove the text from the name field when adding new websites to your bookmarks so that they are only listed by their favicons.
13. Reset Your Browser Settings
If you’re having a hard time using Google Chrome as it keeps crashing, try resetting your browser settings back to their default state by clicking Reset in the settings menu (Settings > Reset settings).
This will delete all of your extensions and clear out any other changes you may have made previously (including any customizations).
What is Google Chrome?
Google Chrome is, hands down, one of the most popular web browsers worldwide. It was developed by Google LLC in 2008 and is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. Most people know it for its simple and minimalist design, fast performance, and security features.
When you open Chrome, you can see a tabbed interface that allows users to easily open multiple websites in one window and switch between them.
One of Chrome’s key features is the integration of Google services. When signing in to your Google account in Chrome, you may access many services, such as Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Calendar, without leaving the browser.
You can also use Chrome to save bookmarks, passwords, and browsing history and have them synced across all your devices. This makes accessing your saved content and settings easier, no matter where you are.
In addition to Google services, Chrome also has a large selection of browser extensions, which are tiny programs that add additional features and functionality to the browser. You can find Google Chrome extensions for everything from ad-blocking to password managers, and they can be easily installed from the Chrome Web Store.
Chrome is also known for its security features, including automatic updates to ensure users have the latest security fixes and built-in malware and phishing protection. The browser also uses a sandboxing technology to isolate individual tabs and prevent malicious websites from accessing your data or compromising your computer.
Ultimately, Google Chrome is a fast and secure web browser that integrates with many Google services. With its simple design, tabbed interface, and extensive selection of extensions, it has become a popular choice for many people worldwide.
Google Chrome Tips to Boost Your Productivity: That’s a Wrap!
Google Chrome is an incredibly powerful and versatile popular web browser that can help you with your productivity. Whether you’re a business professional, student, or casual user, there are plenty of ways to maximize your efficiency when using this beloved browser.
This article does not cover other less crucial tips for increasing productivity, such as handling passwords and turning Chrome into a text editor.
However, from bookmarking sites quickly to customizing the interface to using shortcuts and extensions, there’s no question that Google Chrome has something for everyone. With these Google Chrome tricks, you can easily make your browsing experience more efficient and enjoyable.
