7 Best Ways to Fix Memory Leak in Google Chrome on Windows and Mac

Google Chrome tops the browser popularity charts and is generally the browser of choice for most users. However, it is not devoid of missteps and problems. Google Chrome is notorious for chalking up the big cake of device RAM. We’ve seen Google Chrome slow down over time due to a memory leak issue.

You must have noticed random behaviors like it takes longer to open a new tab, Google Chrome goes blank for a few seconds, and slow scrolling performance while browsing the web. Every issue is related to the memory leak issue in Google Chrome. Let’s fix the problem.

1. Use Task Manager (Windows)

Task Manager in Windows 10 lets you see how much resources Google Chrome is using on the device. Sometimes, you’ll be surprised how much RAM and CPU Google Chrome uses to deliver smooth performance. Follow the steps below.

Stage 1: Use the Ctrl + Alt + Delete key combination on the keyboard.

Step 2: Select Task Manager from the menu below.

Stage 3: You will notice Google Chrome along with other processes running in the background.

Right-click on Chrome from the list to select it and hit the End Task button at the bottom. This closes all running Chrome processes, frees up RAM, and allows you to restart Chrome. You should also keep an eye on other processes running in the background.

2. Use Activity Monitor (Mac)

Activity Monitor is Mac’s version of Task Manager. You can choose Activity Monitor on Mac to monitor and turn off Google Chrome RAM usage.

Stage 1: On Mac, use Command + Space and search for Activity Monitor.

Step 2: Open Activity Monitor and search for Google Chrome.

Stage 3: If you notice big spikes in CPU usage, select the app and click the ‘X’ icon at the top.

The action will force quit the app completely.

3. Use Google Chrome’s Task Manager

Do you know that Google Chrome comes with a built-in task manager? It can be used on both Windows and Mac. The Task Manager and Activity Monitor trick closes the app completely, but what if a culprit tab is causing a memory leak issue in Google Chrome?

In such cases, you can use Google Chrome’s built-in task manager. Go through the steps below.

Stage 1: Open Google Chrome and right click on the tab bar.

Step 2: Select Task Manager from the drop-down menu below.

Stage 3: The task manager will open and you can see the amount of RAM used by Chrome tabs, extensions and services.

Step 4: Select the process with unnecessary high RAM usage and press the End Process button at the bottom.

4. Disable Chrome Extensions

Extensions play a vital role in the Chrome experience. You’ll be fine with popular extensions, but if you’re in the habit of using unknowns, you’ll need to follow along. Some may not be actively maintained, be out of date, or develop incompatibilities with new Chrome builds.

First, you can use the Chrome Task Manager and disable a memory-leaking extension in Chrome. Another way is to remove every extension installed in the browser. Go through the steps below.

Stage 1: Open Google Chrome, tap the three-dot menu at the top.

Step 2: Go to More tools > Extensions.

Stage 3: It will open the extension menu. Tap on the Uninstall button and uninstall the Chrome extensions.

5. Reset All Chrome Settings

It can be helpful especially if you are enabling beta features as changing the wrong settings can eventually cause issues with Chrome.

You can fix all this by resetting Chrome.

Stage 1: Launch Chrome and open Settings.

Step 2: Scroll down and click Advanced to open all settings.

Stage 3: Scroll down to the Reset and clean section and click Restore settings to their original defaults.

This will open a window with a warning that all Chrome settings will be reset. Simply select Reset settings to continue.

Note that this will disable all your extensions, clear temporary data and delete all cookies. But it does not affect bookmarks, history and saved passwords.

6. Use the Chrome Malware Scanner

If none of the above tricks worked, you might have malware blocking Chrome on your system. The good news is that Google has integrated an anti-malware scanner that will scan your computer and find any problems.

Stage 1: Open Chrome and go to Settings.

Step 2: Scroll down and click Advanced to open all settings.

Stage 3: Scroll down to the Reset and clean section and click on Clean computer.

This will open a window where you can start the Chrome malware scan. Simply select the Find button to start the scan.

7. Update Google Chrome

A recent Chrome update may have messed up memory management on the device. Fortunately, the Chrome software team is quickly fixing such issues with a patch.

Stage 1: Open Google Chrome on the device.

Step 2: Click the three-dot menu in the upper right corner and open Settings.

Stage 3: Go to About Chrome menu and update Google Chrome to the latest version.

Enjoy the Smooth Chrome Experience

Google Chrome memory leak is a headache especially when you are on the verge of getting things done. Follow the steps above and fix Chrome memory leak issue on Windows and Mac. Let us know which trick worked for you in the comments below.

Next: Getting too many notifications from the Google Chrome browser? Read the post below to know why this happens and how to fix it.