By default, Google Chrome employs a feature called “Smooth Scrolling.” When you spin the scroll wheel on your mouse, or press the Page Down key on your keyboard, Chrome applies an artificial animation to make the webpage glide smoothly to its new position rather than instantly snapping to the next block of text.
While visually pleasing, this animation introduces a noticeable input delay. For power users, fast readers, and particularly competitive gamers who use web-based tools, this artificial gliding feels sluggish and unresponsive. If you prefer your browser to instantly snap to wherever you scroll without any cinematic gliding, you can disable the smooth scrolling engine.
How to Turn Off Smooth Scrolling in Google Chrome
You must access Chrome’s hidden “Experiments” menu to disable the scrolling animation.
- Open the Google Chrome browser.
- Click inside the address bar at the top of the screen.
- Type the following exact command and press Enter:
chrome://flags/#smooth-scrolling - The browser will load the Experiments page, automatically scrolling down to highlight the Smooth Scrolling setting in yellow.
- Click the drop-down menu on the right side of the highlighted setting (which currently says “Default”).
- Select Disabled from the drop-down list.
- A large blue Relaunch button will appear at the bottom right of the window. Click it to restart Chrome.
Once Chrome restarts, test your mouse wheel on a long webpage. The page will now jump instantly in distinct increments exactly corresponding to the physical clicks of your mouse wheel. This removes the input lag and gives you much more precise, immediate control over page navigation.