Google Chrome is notoriously resource-intensive, often consuming gigabytes of system memory (RAM) simply by keeping multiple browser tabs open. If you are working on a computer with 8GB or 16GB of RAM, this heavy resource usage can cause your entire system to slow down, making other applications unresponsive and draining your laptop battery rapidly.
Fortunately, Google has introduced a built-in feature designed to solve this exact problem: Memory Saver. When enabled, this feature automatically frees up memory from inactive tabs, allowing your computer to allocate those resources to the active tab or other important applications you are currently using.
How Chrome Memory Saver Works
When you have dozens of tabs open in Chrome, most of them are simply sitting in the background doing nothing. However, by default, Chrome keeps every single tab fully loaded and active in your system’s memory so that it is instantly ready if you switch back to it.
When you turn on Memory Saver, Chrome intelligently monitors your browsing habits. If you leave a tab running in the background for an extended period without interacting with it, Chrome puts that tab to “sleep.” It discards the memory footprint of the webpage, giving that RAM back to your operating system.
When you eventually click back onto the sleeping tab, Chrome will quickly reload the page from the internet. You might experience a brief, one-second delay as the page refreshes, but your computer will perform significantly faster overall.
Step 1: How to Enable Memory Saver in Chrome
The Memory Saver feature is built directly into the standard Google Chrome browser, but you may need to explicitly turn it on in the settings menu.
- Open Google Chrome on your computer.
- Click the three vertical dots (the menu icon) in the top right corner of the browser window.
- Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
- In the left sidebar, click on Performance.
- Locate the Memory Saver section.
- Toggle the switch to the On (blue) position.
Once enabled, Chrome will automatically begin managing your inactive tabs to conserve memory.
Step 2: How to Keep Important Websites Active
While Memory Saver is excellent for performance, it can occasionally cause problems if you have a website that must constantly run in the background. For example, if you leave a live stock ticker, a web-based email client, or an active chat application in a background tab, you do not want Chrome to put that tab to sleep.
To prevent this, you can create a whitelist of important websites that Chrome is never allowed to discard.
- Go back to the Performance menu in Chrome Settings.
- Under the Memory Saver toggle, look for the section titled Always keep these sites active.
- Click the Add button.
- Type the URL of the website you want to protect (for example,
mail.google.com). - Click Add to save the exception.
Chrome will now aggressively save memory on all standard web pages while ensuring your critical applications remain fully loaded in the background.
How to Check How Much Memory Chrome is Saving
If you want to see exactly how much RAM you are getting back, Chrome provides a visual indicator.
Whenever you switch back to a tab that was previously put to sleep by Memory Saver, you will see a small speedometer icon appear on the right side of the address bar. If you click on this icon, a pop-up will display exactly how many megabytes of memory were freed up while that specific tab was inactive.
Should You Leave Memory Saver On Permanently?
For the vast majority of users, leaving Memory Saver enabled is highly recommended. It significantly improves system stability, prevents browser crashes, and extends the battery life of laptops. The only scenario where you should consider disabling it is if you are working on a very powerful desktop computer with 32GB or 64GB of RAM and you prefer absolutely zero delay when switching between hundreds of tabs.