Google is widely rolling out the new Memory Saver and Energy Saver modes for its Chrome users. Developed to improve the performance of its web browser and extend battery life, Google introduced the memory and energy saver modes for Chrome on Mac, Windows, Linux, as well as Chromebooks, last year, in December 2022. Now the feature is released for all Chrome users.
Google has added the new feature to Chrome’s performance settings and has enabled them by default. While Google has also added the ability to turn on/off the memory and energy mode as per preference, it is advisable to leave it enabled to help active tabs run smoothly and extend the computer’s battery life.
Let’s take a detailed look at these two new features and how to access them.
Google Chrome Memory Saver Mode
According to Google, the new ‘Memory Saver’ feature in Chrome automatically “frees up memory from inactive tabs”. The feature will help in providing more resources to other pages and apps on users’ computers. smoothly.”
This means that this Memory Saver feature will help you save your computer’s memory by unloading inactive tabs from memory. So, if you have many tabs open in your browser, and you haven’t used some of them in a while, Chrome will automatically remove them from your computer’s memory to free up space. However, when you switch back to those tabs, Chrome will automatically reload them and bring them back into your browser’s memory.
In addition, the new Memory Saver mode also allows users to choose certain websites that they don’t want to be affected by this feature. These websites may include sites that update information in real-time. This way, users can personalise their Memory Saver and make sure that selected websites are always loaded in the memory and are not affected by the new feature.
Overall, this new feature will help users in improving the performance of the Chrome browser by reducing the amount of memory it uses, and will initiate a smoother browsing experience. Additionally, Google says that with Memory Saver “Chrome uses up to 30% less memory” and that it can be used to “keep your active video and gaming tabs running smoothly.”
Google Chrome Energy Saver Mode
Similar to the Memory Saver mode, the new ‘Energy Saver’ feature is developed to save on battery of the devices. Once enabled, the feature will save energy by limiting the browser’s background activity and disabling certain animations and video frame rates and disabling the smooth scrolling feature.
With this feature, Google has added two options to set Energy Saver mode as per preference. Other than turning on/off Energy Saver mode, Chrome users can also choose from:
– Turn on only when my battery is at 20% or lower
– Turn on when my computer is unplugged
How to turn on Chrome memory and energy mode
Google has by default turned on the Memory and Energy Saver. However, to turn off the feature:
– Open Chrome browser and Go to Settings.
– Now on the left sidebar, click Performance.
– Turn Memory Saver or Energy Saver mode on or off.
Notably, Google is releasing new features with the latest version of Chrome (v110) which will be available to everyone in the coming weeks. If the feature is not available on your device, wait for some time to get the new Chrome update. You can also force enable the feature by using flags.
– Paste these links in the address bar and hit enter:
chrome://flags/#battery-saver-mode-available
chrome://flags/#high-efficiency-mode-available
– Next change the settings of ‘Enable the battery saver mode feature in the settings’ and ‘ Enable the high efficiency mode feature in the settings’ from Default to Enabled.