How to Fix Chrome Freezing and Not Responding

Experiencing Chrome freezing and not responding can be incredibly frustrating. Whether you’re dealing with unresponsive tabs, Page Unresponsive errors, or hanging tabs, this guide provides comprehensive solutions to resolve these common issues.

Quick Fixes to Try First

Wait 30 seconds – Chrome may recover on its own.
If prompted, click “Wait” instead of “Kill pages”.
Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc (Windows) to open Task Manager and end unresponsive Chrome processes.
Force quit Chrome: Alt+F4 (Windows), Cmd+Q (Mac), then restart.
Close other applications to free up system resources.

Detailed Solutions for Chrome Freezing and Not Responding

1. Identify Frozen Tabs with Task Manager

Use Chrome’s built-in Task Manager to identify unresponsive tabs:

Windows: Press Shift+Esc or go to Menu > More Tools > Task Manager.
Mac: Go to Window > Task Manager.

Look for tabs marked “Unresponsive” and end those specific processes without closing the entire browser. Note which websites or extensions cause freezes.

2. Disable Problematic Extensions

Visit chrome://extensions in your browser.
Disable all extensions and test if the freezing stops.
Re-enable extensions one by one to identify the culprit.
Remove or update problematic extensions. Common culprits include ad blockers, video downloaders, and clipboard managers.

3. Clear Browsing Data

Navigate to Settings > Privacy and Security > Clear Browsing Data.
In the Advanced tab, select all checkboxes.
Set the time range to “All time” and clear data.

Large caches or cookies can cause freezing. Consider clearing site data for specific problematic sites.

4. Disable Hardware Acceleration

Go to Settings > System.
Turn off “Use hardware acceleration when available”.
Restart Chrome.

GPU conflicts are a major cause of freezing, especially on older graphics cards.

5. Update Graphics Drivers

Outdated drivers can cause Chrome freezes:

Windows: Open Device Manager, expand Display adapters, and update drivers.
Download the latest drivers from the manufacturer (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel).
Mac: Check for system updates.

Restart your computer after updating.

6. Reset Chrome Flags

Visit chrome://flags.
Click “Reset all to default” and restart Chrome.

Experimental features can cause instability.

7. Create New Chrome Profile

Go to Settings > You and Google > Manage other profiles.
Add a new profile and test if freezing persists.
If stable, migrate bookmarks and passwords to the new profile.

8. Increase Available Resources

Close other applications and unused Chrome tabs.
Check system RAM usage.
Windows: Increase page file size.
Consider upgrading RAM if consistently low.

9. Disable Background Apps

Go to Settings > System.
Turn off “Continue running background apps when Google Chrome is closed”.

This reduces conflicts with other applications.

10. Scan for Malware

Malware can cause browser freezing:

Windows: Go to Settings > Advanced > Reset and clean up > Clean up computer.
Run an antivirus scan and remove suspicious software.

Platform-Specific Tips

Windows

Check for Windows updates that affect Chrome.
Temporarily disable Windows Defender real-time scanning to test.
Run Chrome as administrator by right-clicking and selecting “Run as admin”.
Check Event Viewer for Chrome crash logs.
Try compatibility mode: Right-click Chrome > Properties > Compatibility.
Disable Windows visual effects for performance.

macOS

Check Activity Monitor for Chrome CPU/Memory usage.
Force quit with Cmd+Option+Esc, select Chrome.
Reset NVRAM: Restart and hold Option+Cmd+P+R.
Boot in Safe Mode to test (hold Shift on startup).
Check for macOS updates and repair disk permissions with Disk Utility.
Disable power management features temporarily.

Linux

Run Chrome from terminal to see error messages.
Try: google-chrome --disable-gpu.
Check dmesg for system errors.
Verify swap space is adequate.
Update distribution packages and try Chromium instead of Chrome.
Check for sandboxing issues.

Android

Force stop Chrome: Settings > Apps > Chrome > Force Stop.
Clear cache: Settings > Apps > Chrome > Storage > Clear Cache.
Clear data (warning: removes settings): Clear Storage.
Restart phone and check for Android system updates.
Reduce open tabs (max 5-10 recommended) and disable Chrome Lite mode.
Uninstall and reinstall Chrome.

iOS

Force close Chrome: Swipe up from bottom, swipe Chrome away.
Restart iPhone/iPad and update iOS to the latest version.
Clear browsing data in Chrome settings.
Delete and reinstall Chrome.
Check iPhone storage as low storage causes freezing.
Disable Safari suggestions in Chrome settings.

Advanced Solutions

1. Launch with Diagnostic Flags

For Windows, create a shortcut with the following flags:

--disable-extensions
--disable-plugins
--no-sandbox

Test each flag individually to isolate the issue.

2. Check for Stuck Renderer

Open chrome://crashes for crash reports.
Open chrome://process-internals for process status.
Look for repeated patterns that may indicate an issue.

3. Reset Chrome Completely

Go to Settings > Advanced > Reset and clean up > Restore settings to original defaults.
This preserves bookmarks but removes extensions and settings.

Consider this as a last resort before reinstalling.

4. Reinstall Chrome

Uninstall Chrome completely.
Delete Chrome folders:
- Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome
- Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome
Download a fresh copy from google.com/chrome.
Do not sync immediately – test stability first.

5. Check Network Issues

Slow networks can cause page freezing. Try different websites to isolate the problem.
Check DNS settings and try using Google DNS: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.

6. Monitor Page Errors

Open DevTools with F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I.
Check the Console tab for JavaScript errors.
Some sites have buggy code that causes freezing.

By following these solutions, you should be able to resolve most instances of Chrome freezing and not responding. If problems persist, consider reaching out to Google support for further assistance.