The newest stable version of Google Chrome has rolled out an upgraded Memory Saver feature designed to help minimize the browser’s memory use.
It’s well-known that Google Chrome has a reputation for consuming a lot of memory – but is this reputation warranted? In the past, perhaps. However, recent comparisons suggest that Chrome’s RAM consumption might not be as excessive as widely believed.
Many users, however, report their experiences are quite different.
Expanded memory settings are now available in Chrome.
Regardless, the latest iteration of Google’s leading browser now features three modes for Memory Saver, all reachable through the Settings > More Tools > Performance menu:
- Moderate – tabs become inactive after a long period of inactivity.
- Balanced – tabs transition to inactive status sooner, depending on system requirements.
- Maximum – tabs are rendered inactive after a brief duration.
For those who are not yet acquainted with Memory Saver, it is designed to “…release memory from inactive tabs so that active tabs and other applications have more system resources, ensuring that Chrome remains swift. Your inactive tabs will automatically reactivate when you return to them.”
This feature is particularly beneficial for individuals who tend to keep numerous tabs open, especially resource-intensive ones like Gmail, Google Maps, and YouTube.
Inactive tabs are indicated visually, although there’s an option to disable this feature if you find it distracting. Additionally, Chrome allows you to add specific websites to a keep-alive list, which can be useful for sites you want to maintain access to while you’re not actively browsing them.
If you’re interested in monitoring how much memory a particular website is consuming in Google Chrome, you can open the built-in task manager. For a quicker glance, you can enable the toggle under Settings > Appearance to display active memory usage in the preview when you hover over a tab.
The new Memory Saver controls are now available in the stable version of Google Chrome. If you have the browser installed and recently updated, you can start taking advantage of these features.
Installing Google Chrome on Ubuntu is quite straightforward: download the DEB package from the official site, install it via App Center, and you’re all set. The official Google APT repository is included during installation, ensuring that future updates are installed along with other Ubuntu updates.