How to Enable Memory and Energy Saver Modes in Google Chrome

Google Chrome can consume a significant amount of RAM and battery, especially when many tabs are open. Fortunately, Chrome has built-in features to save resources, which help reduce energy consumption and improve device performance. In this guide, we’ll cover how to enable both the memory saver and energy saver modes in Google Chrome.

1. Enabling Memory Saver Mode

Chrome allows you to automatically “freeze” inactive tabs so they don’t use up memory. This is especially helpful on devices with limited resources. To enable memory saver mode:

  1. Open Chrome settings by clicking on the three dots in the top right corner and selecting “Settings”.
  2. Go to the “Performance” section. If you don’t see this option, type chrome://settings/performance into the address bar and press Enter.
  3. Turn on the “Memory Saver” toggle. This mode will free up memory by putting inactive tabs to sleep and will reload them automatically when you switch back to them.

2. Activating Energy Saver Mode

The energy saver mode in Chrome helps reduce power consumption when your battery is below 20% or when your device is unplugged. To activate this mode:

  1. Go to the “Performance” section (again, if you don’t see this option, use the address chrome://settings/performance).
  2. Turn on the “Energy Saver” toggle. When activated, Chrome will reduce background activity, disable some visual effects, and lower scroll smoothness to conserve battery power.

3. Using Extensions to Save Resources

In addition to these built-in features, Chrome offers several extensions that can help with memory and energy saving. Popular examples include:

  • The Great Suspender — suspends inactive tabs to free up device resources.
  • Tab Snooze — allows you to “snooze” tabs and bring them back when needed.