Google Chrome improves battery and memory optimization

Google has released optimization features designed to improve battery life and memory usage on machines running the latest version of its Chrome desktop web browser. Chrome’s new Energy Saver and Memory Saver modes were first announced in December last year alongside the release of Chrome 108, and now as noted by Android Police, the two optimization utilities are starting to roll out globally onto Chrome 110 desktops for Mac, Windows, and Chromebooks.

Memory Saver mode essentially snoozes Chrome tabs that aren’t currently in use to free up RAM for more intensive tasks and create a smoother browsing experience. Don’t worry if you’re a tab hoarder though, as these inactive tabs are still visible and can be reloaded at any time to pick up where you left off. Your most used websites can also be marked as exempt from Memory Saver to ensure they’re always running at the maximum possible performance.

Energy Saver mode similarly limits any unnecessary background website activity, such as visual effects like smooth scrolling on animations or videos. You can choose to have it kick in when a device running Chrome is reduced to 20 percent battery, or from the moment you unplug from a power source. Google hasn’t mentioned how much juice the feature might save though.

Both Memory Saver and Energy Saver are enabled by default on devices running Chrome 110, and can be disabled at any time by heading into the Performance tab of your system settings.