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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →To reduce Chrome’s memory use on a computer, turn on Memory Saver in Settings > Performance. It deactivates eligible inactive tabs and reloads them when you return. Close tabs you no longer need and review memory-heavy tasks or unused extensions if Chrome still feels resource-hungry. Startup settings are separate: they control which pages open when Chrome launches, not whether background tabs are deactivated.
Turn on Memory Saver in Chrome
In Chrome on a computer, open More > Settings > Performance, turn on Memory Saver, and choose a level. Google lists three options: Moderate, Balanced (recommended), and Maximum. The setting deactivates eligible tabs that you are not currently using; when you revisit one, it reloads. Google Chrome Help describes the behavior this way: “When you access an inactive tab, it automatically reloads.”
Pick a level based on how long you want inactive tabs to remain available before Chrome deactivates them. Google does not publish an exact delay or a guaranteed amount of memory saved for each level.
| Level | How it behaves | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Moderate | Waits longer before deactivating inactive tabs. | Tabs stay active longer; memory reclamation is less aggressive. |
| Balanced (recommended) | Google’s recommended middle setting. | A general-purpose balance between keeping tabs active and deactivating them. |
| Maximum | Deactivates inactive tabs after a shorter period. | More aggressive deactivation can mean more frequent reloads when you return to tabs. |
Some tabs may remain active even with Memory Saver on. Chrome may keep a tab active when it is playing audio or video, sharing a screen, showing notifications, downloading a file, or containing a partially filled form. Pinned tabs and tabs connected to USB or Bluetooth devices may also be exempt. If a particular site needs to stay active, add it to Always keep these sites active in the Memory Saver settings.
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Find and reduce other sources of memory use
Close tabs you no longer need
Memory Saver handles eligible inactive tabs, but it does not replace closing pages you are finished with. Close unnecessary tabs to reduce the number of open pages Chrome must manage. Google’s Chrome speed troubleshooting guidance also recommends closing tabs that are not in use.
Check Chrome Task Manager
- Open Chrome’s More > More tools > Task Manager.
- Select the Memory column to sort tasks by memory use.
- Review the entries, including background pages. End only a task you recognize and no longer need.
Ending a task can discard unsaved work, so avoid stopping a page or process unless you understand what it is doing.
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Disable extensions you do not use
Open More > Extensions > Manage Extensions and disable or remove extensions you no longer need. This is a general troubleshooting step, not a guarantee that a particular extension is causing high memory use or that removing one will solve it.
Review page preloading
In Settings > Performance > Preload pages, review Chrome’s preloading option. Preloading is intended to make browsing and searching faster. You can turn it off or choose a lighter option if you prefer less preloading activity. Google does not quantify how much memory, if any, this change will save, so treat it as a speed-versus-preloading preference rather than a guaranteed memory fix.
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Choose what Chrome opens at startup separately
Chrome’s startup setting controls the pages shown when the browser first launches; it is different from the homepage, which opens through the Home control. On a computer, open Settings > On startup and choose Continue where you left off if you want Chrome to reopen the pages that were open when you quit.
This can restore a large set of tabs, but it does not deactivate them. Memory Saver is the separate control that deactivates eligible inactive tabs after Chrome opens. Google’s startup guidance does not state that restoring a previous session directly increases or reduces memory use.
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What to expect on mobile or a managed computer
Google says Performance settings cannot be personalized in Chrome on Android or iOS, so the Memory Saver steps above apply to computers.
On a work- or school-managed computer, an administrator may control memory behavior through Chrome policies. Google’s enterprise policy documentation describes a policy that can set how much memory a Chrome browser session may use before tabs start closing automatically to save memory. If you cannot change a Performance setting, contact your administrator.
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