How to Enable Memory and Energy Saver in Chromebook

Key Takeaways:

• Memory Saver can reduce Chrome’s RAM usage by up to 40% by automatically suspending inactive tabs
• Energy Saver mode extends battery life by limiting background activities when your laptop hits 20% charge
• Both features can be customized to exclude specific websites from being suspended

Ever opened Task Manager to find Chrome eating up most of your RAM? I’ve been there. My laptop used to slow to a crawl with just a handful of Chrome tabs open, making video editing or gaming nearly impossible.

But here’s the good news – Google has finally tackled Chrome’s notorious resource-hogging reputation with two game-changing features: Memory Saver and Energy Saver modes.

What Memory and Energy Saver Actually Do

Memory Saver works like a smart tab manager. When you’re not actively using a tab, Chrome puts it to sleep, freeing up valuable RAM for whatever you’re currently doing.

The results are impressive. I’ve seen my Chrome memory usage drop by nearly 10GB when running multiple tabs.

Energy Saver kicks in when your laptop battery gets low. It automatically reduces Chrome’s power consumption by limiting background processes and visual effects.

How to Turn On Memory Saver Mode

Here’s the quickest way to enable Memory Saver:

1. Click the three-dot menu in Chrome’s top-right corner
2. Select Settings
3. Click Performance in the left sidebar
4. Toggle on Memory Saver

That’s it! Chrome will now start managing your inactive tabs automatically.

Customizing Memory Saver for Your Needs

Some websites need to stay active in the background. Think chat apps or live sports scores.

You can easily exclude these sites:

1. Go to Performance settings
2. Under Memory Saver, click Add next to “Always keep these sites active”
3. Enter the website URL you want to exclude

Activating Energy Saver for Better Battery Life

The setup for Energy Saver is similar:

1. Head to Chrome Settings
2. Click Performance
3. Toggle on Energy Saver

You can choose when it activates:

• When your device is unplugged
• When your battery reaches 20%

Advanced Memory Management Tips

For even better performance, try these additional tricks:

chrome://flags/#battery-saver-mode-available
chrome://flags/#high-efficiency-mode-available

Just paste these into your address bar to access experimental features.

FAQ

Why does Chrome use so much memory in the first place?

Chrome uses a separate process for each tab and extension to improve stability and security. While this makes Chrome more reliable, it also means higher memory usage.

Will Memory Saver affect my browsing experience?

You might notice a slight delay when switching back to suspended tabs as they need to reload. However, the performance benefits usually outweigh this minor inconvenience.

Does Energy Saver work on desktop computers?

Energy Saver is primarily designed for laptops, but you can still enable it on desktop computers. However, you’ll only notice benefits if you’re concerned about power consumption.

Can I use these features with Chrome extensions?

Yes! Both Memory Saver and Energy Saver work alongside extensions. However, some extensions might be temporarily paused when Energy Saver is active.

How do I know if a tab is suspended?

Chrome shows a small indicator on suspended tabs. When you click on them, they’ll quickly reload to their previous state.