Google Chrome is among the fastest browsers available today. However, in terms of downloading files, there is nothing special with Chrome. It has the basic functions and relatively standard download speeds.
Luckily, there are some quick hacks that could accelerate the download process significantly.
By applying the following tips, I was able to increase Chrome’s download speed to 35% faster!
Check, let’s dig into it!
Table of Contents
- #1 Enable the parallel downloading feature in Chrome
- #2 Remove or disable unused extensions to free up some bandwidth
- #3 Close any web pages that could stealing your bandwidth
- #4 Leave Chrome alone when downloading
- #5 Make sure there is no virus or malware lurking inside Google Chrome
- #6 Always use the latest version of the browser
- #7 The Online Download Manager extension could increase download speed
#1 Enable the parallel downloading feature in Chrome
If you never heard of this feature, it’s okay. The parallel downloading in Chrome is an experimental feature thus not readily available on release.
In a nutshell, parallel downloading could increase the download speed to around 33% according to KeyCDN. Here is how to enable the parallel downloading feature in Chrome.
1. Go to chrome://flags/
2. Search for “parallel downloading” on a search bar.
3. On the Parallel downloading section, select Enabled.
4. Relaunch Google Chrome to take the effect.
After this, you should notice an improvement over the download speed. However, since the feature itself still experimental, it probably would crash with other settings or extensions.
If that was the case, please revert the parallel downloading to the “Default” setting.
#2 Remove or disable unused extensions to free up some bandwidth
Some extensions are consuming your bandwidth when it’s running in the background. If these extensions are no longer in need, you can either remove or disable them for good. Just go to chrome://extensions/ page, and select which extension you want to remove.
However, if you probably will need the extension in the future, you can just disable it temporarily. This action will put the extension into sleep mode but always ready whenever you need it.
It is known that having fewer extensions could make Chrome consume less memory and faster in performance.
#3 Close any web pages that could stealing your bandwidth
Modern websites have a lot of background resources and it may steal the bandwidth even though the loading process has finished.
By eliminating these tabs, you can save bandwidth and helps Chrome focusing its bandwidth for downloading files. I have made a guide on how to find which Chrome tabs are slowing down your PC, from there you could pick the best pages to leave open or closed.
If there are some important web pages you still need for later, try to use an extension named OneTab. This extension will store the page URL from all tabs.
#4 Leave Chrome alone when downloading
While this is not mandatory, it is always a good practice to leave Chrome alone during the download process, especially when downloading a big file. That way, the computer can concentrate its processing power just for Chrome.
There are some positive activities you can do when waiting, such as defragging HDD, scanning for viruses, or finish your document. These things generally do not use internet bandwidth and relatively low-power, so it is safe to go.
#5 Make sure there is no virus or malware lurking inside Google Chrome
Malware commonly uses an internet connection to download unwanted programs or transferring your precious data to the hacker.
Not only dangerous, but it can also interrupt your download. Luckily, Chrome has a built-in antivirus program that could be used to scan itself and your computer in general.
Go to chrome://settings/cleanup and click the “Find” button to start the scanning process. If the malware has found, Chrome will show you a report and you can delete it afterwards.
#6 Always use the latest version of the browser
There is no doubt that the higher version of browsers usually comes with more features, better stability, and improved performance.
Therefore, make sure you are using the latest iteration of Google Chrome. You can check for the update via this address chrome://settings/help
You may have to restart Chrome once the update has installed.
#7 The Online Download Manager extension could increase download speed
By using the Online Download Manager extension, I was able to accelerate the download speed around 35%.
This extension will alter the default download feature on Chrome and use its own multi-threaded process. This would improve speed dramatically while not sacrificing processing power.
The extension itself comes with several useful features, including automatic detection, various file format support, a video downloader, and many more. Even better, the extension is free to use and regularly updated by its developer
Alright, that’s how you can improve Chrome download speed in a matter of minutes.
Do you see any differences? Leave your feedback on the comment below!
