Chrome’s Memory Saver can reduce Google Chrome’s use of system memory (RAM) by deactivating eligible inactive tabs. When you return to one, Chrome reloads its page. Choose how soon inactive tabs become eligible, and keep sites active when a reload could interrupt work. Google’s Chrome Help describes the setting for desktop Chrome; its performance settings can’t be personalized on iOS or Android.
Turn on Memory Saver on desktop
- Open Chrome’s Settings and select Performance.
- Turn on Memory Saver.
- Choose a mode based on how soon you want Chrome to deactivate eligible inactive tabs.
| Mode | When inactive tabs are deactivated | Google’s guidance |
| Moderate | After a longer period | Keeps tabs active longer |
| Balanced | After an “optimal” period | Recommended |
| Maximum | After a shorter period | Deactivates tabs sooner |
Balanced is the recommended starting point. Choose Moderate if you want inactive tabs to remain active longer, or Maximum if you prefer Chrome to deactivate eligible tabs sooner.
Keep important sites active
Some tabs may not be deactivated while they’re playing audio or video, handling a call, sharing your screen, showing notifications, or downloading a file. A partially completed form, a pinned tab, or a connected USB or Bluetooth device can also prevent deactivation. These are possible exceptions, not a guarantee that every tab in those situations will stay active.
To exempt a site, open Settings > Performance and add it under Always keep these sites active. This is useful for a web app or form where a reload could interrupt work. You can also add a site when you want it to remain available even if it becomes inactive.
Protect work in progress
A deactivated tab reloads when you return to it. Chrome for Developers says a discarded page may reload without firing beforeunload, pagehide, or unload events, so a website can’t rely on those events to save a user’s work at discard time. Its guidance for developers is to save page state as it changes and when the page becomes hidden. Chrome for Developers explains the page lifecycle.
For your own work, save changes as you go. If an app doesn’t reliably preserve unfinished work, add its site to the active-site exceptions before leaving the tab idle.
Find the Chrome task using memory
A high overall memory figure doesn’t tell you which tab or extension is responsible. How-To Geek describes this route to Chrome’s built-in Task Manager: open the Chrome menu, select More tools > Task Manager, then inspect Memory footprint for individual tasks. That can help you locate a busy tab, process, or extension before deciding what to close or adjust.
To check your Memory Saver setup, return to Settings > Performance and confirm the feature is on and the intended mode is selected.
What to expect on a phone
Google says Chrome’s performance settings can’t be personalized on iOS or Android. The Memory Saver controls described here are for desktop Chrome.
