How to Use Memory Saver in Google Chrome to Reduce RAM Usage

Google Chrome has historically been criticised for consuming excessive amounts of system RAM, especially for users who keep dozens of tabs open simultaneously. This high memory usage can slow down other applications, drain laptop batteries faster, and cause the browser itself to become sluggish.

To address this, Google introduced a built-in feature called Memory Saver. When enabled, Memory Saver automatically frees up memory from inactive tabs (tabs you haven’t looked at in a while). The tab remains visible in your browser strip, but its contents are essentially “put to sleep.” When you click back onto the sleeping tab, Chrome instantly reloads the page.

This guide explains how to enable, configure, and manage Memory Saver to optimise Chrome’s performance on your computer.

How to Enable Memory Saver in Chrome

Memory Saver is built into the core Chrome browser on both Windows and macOS. You do not need to install any extensions to use it.

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Click the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner of the browser window.
3. Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
4. In the left-hand sidebar, click on Performance.
5. Under the “Memory” section, locate the Memory Saver option.
6. Toggle the switch to the On position.

Once enabled, Chrome will automatically begin managing your memory in the background. You do not need to restart the browser.

How to Tell if a Tab is Sleeping

Chrome provides visual indicators so you know when Memory Saver is actively working.

1. The Tab Icon: When you leave a tab inactive for an extended period, you may notice the favicon (the small website logo on the tab itself) becomes slightly faded or features a small dashed ring around it.
2. The Address Bar Icon: When you click back into a tab that had been put to sleep, look at the right side of the address bar (omnibox). You will briefly see a speedometer icon.
3. Memory Saved Metric: If you hover your mouse cursor over the speedometer icon (or simply hover over the tab before clicking it), a small pop-up will appear displaying exactly how much memory (in megabytes or gigabytes) Chrome saved by suspending that specific tab.

Preventing Specific Sites from Sleeping

While Memory Saver is excellent for general browsing, it can cause problems for certain websites. For example, if you have a tab running a live dashboard, an active stock ticker, a web-based timer, or a messaging web app (like WhatsApp Web or Slack) that doesn’t use standard push notifications, you do not want Chrome putting that tab to sleep.

You can create an exclusion list (an “allowlist”) for these essential websites.

1. Go back to Settings > Performance.
2. Under the Memory Saver toggle, locate the section titled Always keep these sites active.
3. Click the Add button.
4. Type the URL of the website you want to protect (e.g., slack.com or app.asana.com).
5. Click Add to confirm.

You can also use wildcards if you want to exclude an entire domain and its subdomains. For instance, entering *.google.com will prevent Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Docs from ever being suspended.

Adjusting the Aggressiveness of Memory Saver

By default, Chrome decides when to put a tab to sleep based on your system’s available resources and how long the tab has been inactive. However, in newer versions of Chrome, you can adjust how aggressively this feature operates.

If the option is available in your version, you will see a setting under the Memory Saver toggle allowing you to choose between:

• Standard: Balances memory savings with tab reloading frequency. Tabs are suspended when your computer actually needs the memory.
• Maximum: Aggressively suspends tabs shortly after you stop using them, maximising memory savings but resulting in more frequent page reloads when navigating between tabs.

If you have a computer with limited RAM (e.g., 8GB or less), using Maximum can significantly improve overall system responsiveness.

When Does Chrome Not Suspend a Tab?

Even with Memory Saver enabled, Chrome has built-in intelligence to prevent disrupting your workflow. It will automatically refuse to suspend tabs that are:

• Currently playing audio or video.
• Actively sharing your screen (e.g., Google Meet in a tab).
• Displaying a partially filled-out web form that hasn’t been submitted.
• Running an active download.

Memory Saver transforms Chrome from a resource-heavy application into a more efficient browser, allowing you to maintain your messy, multi-tab workflows without bringing your operating system to a crawl.