Google Chrome gets memory and power saving modes

Google Chrome gets memory and power saving modes

Google's Chrome browser has long been plagued with system memory consumption issues, especially when multiple tabs are open, but the world's most popular browser has been updated today to optimize both device battery power and memory usage.

With the latest version of Chrome on desktop, Google will introduce two new performance settings: Memory Saver and Power Saver. When used, Google said Chrome will consume up to 30% less memory and extend a device's battery when it's low.

“We will roll out Memory Saver and Power Saver modes in the coming weeks globally for Windows, macOS, and ChromeOS,” Mark Chang, group product manager for Chrome, wrote in a company blog post.

When new features arrive, they will run natively until users decide to manually disable them or mark "important websites" to be exempt from Memory Saver.

Captura de pantalla del protector de memoria de Chrome Google

Chrome's memory saving mode can be manually disabled by accessing the three-dot menu in the top right corner of the browser page.

Users can find the Memory Savor control hidden under the three-dot menu in the upper right corner of Chrome browser windows.

Excessive use of system memory by Chrome has in the past limited the amount available to other programs running on a computer or other device. The issues have even led to Chrome having trouble caching information for quick access, thereby killing off RAM usage in the first place.

"From the beginning, we designed Chrome for speed. But performance isn't just about delivering a fast browsing experience," Chang wrote.

Because Google Chrome uses sandboxed browser processes, a user who launches Chrome with the Google search box ends up with two Chrome processes running, each requiring its own memory.

“Add another tab and you get three,” AndroidCentral editor Jerry Hildenbrand wrote in a post last year. "Add in the 50 or so tabs you end up having open at the end of the night and you have 51, each operating semi-independently of the other and each taking up system resources. That's just the beginning. Each extension launches a different Chrome process. It aggressively preloads web pages to make your Internet browsing nice and fast.

The problem causes Chrome to consume megabytes of memory.

Google says the new Memory Saver mode provides a smoother browsing experience, even if you have "a bunch of tabs open..."

Memory Saver works by freeing memory from tabs that are not currently in use by a system, so active websites get memory resources first. “This is especially useful if you're running other intensive applications, like editing home videos or playing games. All idle tabs will be reloaded when you need them,” Chang said.

Captura de pantalla del modo de ahorro de energía 2 Google

Chrome's power saving mode can be disabled manually.

Additionally, Chrome's new power saving mode is designed to save battery life by limiting background activity and visual effects for websites with animations and videos. Power saving mode kicks in when a device's battery level reaches 20% capacity, Google said.

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