On an older Mac, Chrome runs best with fewer tabs and extensions, Memory Saver turned on, and an up-to-date copy of Chrome. Before anything else, check that your Mac can still run a supported version of Chrome, because Chrome’s updates are how you get its security fixes.
Step 1: Check your macOS version against Chrome’s requirements
- From the Apple menu in the upper-left corner of the screen, choose About This Mac. The window shows the name and version number of your macOS (from Apple’s guide).
- Compare it with the minimum macOS version on Google’s Chrome system requirements page. Our system requirements page has the same information for every platform.
Google’s update help says to check that Chrome supports your operating system before you update. If your Mac meets the requirement, make sure Chrome is current:
In Chrome, select the three-dot More menu > Help > About Google Chrome. Chrome checks for updates on that page. If you see Relaunch, select it. If there is no Relaunch button, you have the latest version.
Step 2: Turn on Memory Saver
Memory Saver deactivates tabs you aren’t using so their memory goes to the tabs you are. An inactive tab stays in the tab strip and reloads when you click it.
- Select More > Settings, then Performance on the left.
- Turn on Memory Saver.
- On a Mac with little memory, try Maximum, which deactivates tabs soonest. Balanced is Google’s recommended level.
Add any site that must keep running, such as a chat app, under Always keep these sites active. These settings come from Google’s performance guide.
Step 3: Use Energy Saver on a MacBook
On the same Performance page, turn on Energy Saver. Google says it works while your Mac is unplugged or its battery is low, reduces background tasks, and stops eligible CPU-intensive background tabs. Tabs on video calls or playing audio aren’t affected. It doesn’t turn on while the Mac is plugged in, and it is only offered on computers with a battery.
Step 4: Find what is slowing Chrome down
- Select More > More tools > Task Manager.
- Select Memory to sort the list.
- End any tab or extension you don’t need with End process. Unsaved work in that tab is lost.
To see one tab’s memory use when you point at it, go to Settings > Appearance and turn on Show memory usage on tab hover preview card.
Then turn off extensions you don’t use: More > Extensions > Manage Extensions, and switch them off or remove them. Google’s speed-up guide recommends this, along with closing tabs you aren’t using and not running many apps at the same time.
Step 5: Check whether your Mac is short of memory
macOS’s Activity Monitor shows whether the whole Mac, not just Chrome, is running out of memory. Open the Activity Monitor app and click Memory. Apple’s Activity Monitor guide explains the Memory Pressure graph at the bottom:
- Green: your Mac is using all of its memory efficiently.
- Yellow: your Mac might eventually need more memory.
- Red: your Mac needs more memory.
If the graph is red with Chrome open, close tabs and quit other apps you aren’t using. Apple’s guide also shows how to find out whether your Mac’s memory can be upgraded: hold Option, choose Apple menu > System Information, and select Memory under Hardware.
If Chrome still struggles
- Check for unwanted software. Pop-ups, a changed search engine or extensions you didn’t add are signs. On a Mac, Google’s malware help says to open Finder, select Applications, and move programs you don’t recognize to the Trash.
- Reset Chrome’s settings. Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults. Google says your bookmarks and saved passwords aren’t deleted or changed.
- If Chrome keeps crashing, Google suggests turning off Use hardware acceleration when available in Settings > System, then restarting Chrome. Turn it back on if it doesn’t help.
More help: why Chrome is slow on a Mac, fixing high memory use, and downloading Chrome for Mac.