The Persistent Process
By default, Google Chrome installs a background service on your operating system (specifically on Windows and macOS). This service is designed to start the moment you log into your computer, long before you actually click the Chrome icon. Its primary purpose is to keep your extensions synced, deliver Google Drive or Gmail notifications, and silently download browser updates in the background. However, if you have a low-end computer with limited RAM, this invisible Chrome instance consumes valuable system resources during startup, making your entire computer boot slower and feel sluggish even when you are just trying to use Microsoft Word or another application.
Disabling Chrome’s Background Startup
To free up system memory during boot and stop Google Chrome from automatically opening its background processes after you log into your operating system, you must disable the feature within Chrome’s system settings.
Open the Google Chrome browser. Click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner to open the main menu, and select Settings from the list. In the left-hand navigation pane, look toward the bottom and click on System. You will see a small list of options in the main window. Look for the toggle switch labeled Continue running background apps when Google Chrome is closed. Click this toggle so that it flips to the Off position (the switch will turn from blue to grey). From now on, when you close the last visible Chrome window, the browser will terminate completely, and it will no longer launch any hidden background processes the next time you turn on your computer.