Google has announced a Chrome update aimed at reducing the browser's impact on your computer's memory and battery life. Two new settings allow Chrome to use up to 40% less memory (up to 10GB) on PC, Mac, and Chromebook devices. These changes were initially announced in December 2022, and with the release of Chrome 110, users can now benefit from these memory and battery optimisation tools. This will ensure that tabs continue to run smoothly while preserving battery life.

Energy Saver mode restricts unnecessary website background activity, such as visual effects like smooth scrolling, animations, or videos. You can opt to activate it when your Chrome device's battery drops to 20 percent or lower, or immediately upon unplugging from a power source. However, Google hasn't disclosed the exact amount of power savings you can expect from this feature.

Once Chrome 110 is installed, certain features should already be enabled by default. However, if you want to confirm or enable them manually, it's a simple process.

Assuming the update has been rolled out to your Chrome browser and activated, you can follow these steps:

Click on the three dots in the top-right corner.
Select "Settings".
Type "Memory" into the search bar and activate "Memory Saver".
Alternatively, type "Energy" and activate "Energy Saver".

If you want to whitelist certain websites from Memory Saver, so that they can always run in the background, you can do so in the Settings menu. Just type the site URL and click "Add".

Furthermore, Energy Saver can be activated in two ways: either when your battery is at 20% or lower, or persistently when your device is unplugged. You can choose which option you prefer when activating the setting.

Chrome has long been criticised for being a memory hog, which often prompts users to switch to other browsers such as Firefox or the new Edge with ChatGPT. If you've ever been working and had a lot of tabs open and your browser starts to lag, you're likely familiar with this issue.

The problem stems from Chrome's continuous caching of visited websites, which can improve load speeds but also increases RAM usage. While adding more RAM can alleviate the issue, disabling unused tabs and background processes can significantly improve performance.

Fortunately, Google has finally released an update that addresses Chrome's RAM and battery consumption. This update includes features that help to keep both at a minimum, which should result in a significant performance boost.

“Memory Saver mode frees up memory from tabs you aren’t currently using so the active websites you’re browsing have the smoothest possible experience. This is especially useful if you’re running other intensive applications, like editing family videos or playing games. Any inactive tabs will be reloaded when you need them,”

“When you’re browsing the web with Chrome and your device battery level reaches 20%, Chrome will save battery by limiting background activity and visual effects for websites with animations and videos,”

- Google Blog 

There was no mention in the post update to have Energy Saver persistently enabled whenever your laptop is unplugged, but it’s likely that the features remain the same with this setting enabled.

Will you be sticking with Chrome or have you already made the switch to another browser?