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Make this change if your browser is slowing down to a crawl
Quick! What’s the one app you use more than just about any other? I bet it’s your browser. It takes you everywhere online. But with countless extensions and tools, not to mention the complexity of today’s websites, we’re working them to death.
That consistently high demand on your computer’s resources can exhaust the machine, especially laptops. Say hello to shorter battery life, slower performance times, cybersecurity risks and system crashes.
Fortunately, you can do things online faster with a few pro tweaks to your browser’s settings.
Chrome needs a refresh – Here’s how
Chrome is a notorious resource hog. Yes, Google has made changes to fix that, but popping into the settings will further reduce the load on your system and keep your computer happy.
- Manage extensions: Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner, then Extensions > Manage Extensions. Remove or disable any unnecessary extensions.
- Disable hardware acceleration: Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner, then Settings > System. Toggle off Use hardware acceleration when available.
- Content settings: Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner, then Privacy and security > Site settings. Review and customize permissions for Third-party cookies, JavaScript, Images, and Pop-ups and redirects.
Fix Safari if you use a Mac
On a Mac, you probably use the Safari browser. You can make a couple of quick changes here, too.
- Manage extensions: Click Safari in the menu bar > Settings. Open the Extensions tab, then remove or disable anything you don’t use.
- Site settings: From Settings, click the Websites tab. Customize settings for individual websites; you can block plugins, auto-playing media and location access.
- Disable auto-playing media: In Settings, go to the Websites tab > Auto-Play. Choose Stop Media with Sound or Never Autoplay to conserve resources.
Congrats! Just a few minutes and you added time to your computer’s life. Don’t stop yet.
Dive deeper: Check your battery’s lifespan
Laptop batteries are only equipped to handle a limited number of complete cycles or, in layman’s terms, the charging process in which your battery goes from 0% to 100%. If you consistently put your laptop battery through complete charge cycles, it will lose efficiency — and so will batteries as they age.
You can’t just avoid charging your battery to cut down on cycles, so checking its health is essential. Doing so will give a good idea of how much more abuse your battery can take and help prompt you to make changes to preserve its health.
Get the steps for Windows and Mac laptops here.
Tags: Apple Mac, Apple Safari, batteries, battery, browser, computer, cybersecurity, extensions, Google, Google Chrome, hackers, newsletters, online presence, performance, podcasts, privacy, security, settings, side hustle, speed, tech, tips and tricks, tools, websites
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