A lot of us use a web browser, such as Apple Safari or Google Chrome, for hours every day. Long sessions can have a significant impact on daily productivity, even if they have only minor effects on performance. It can build up over weeks, months, or even years to wait an extra thirty seconds for each webpage to load.
Web browsers can slow down over time as you begin to use them more and more, much like your computer in general. It takes a toll whether you install more extensions or store more data on your computer's local storage.
It's not necessary to accept this growing slowness, though, since there are methods to restore your browser's blazing speed from the moment it launched. While many tips are unique to a certain browser, the majority are compatible with all of them.
Settings Up Update
The most important thing to remember is to always have the most recent version of your preferred web browser installed. Because of this, it's now very difficult to let your browser get outdated without constantly being reminded to install the update.
Using the most recent code ensures that you are safe against malicious software vulnerabilities and security attacks, and that you have access to the newest features and optimizations. It also implies that any sophisticated online apps or more recent web technologies that your browser needs to function with won't trip it up.
Although most updates will be handled automatically, you still have the option to manually check. In Microsoft Edge, click the three dots (top right), then Help and Feedback and About Microsoft Edge. In Chrome, click the three dots (top right), then Help and About Google Chrome. In Windows, click the three horizontal lines at the top right corner of Firefox, then select Help and About Firefox. On macOS, open the Firefox menu and select About Firefox.
When it comes to Safari, macOS upgrades are combined with browser updates. Open the Apple menu, select System Preferences, General, and Software Update to ensure that macOS is current.
Extensions of Auditing
Without a doubt, browser extensions can be a great way to navigate the web and accomplish more without opening full-fledged applications. However, if you install them in excess, they will slow down operations. This is particularly true for add-ons that monitor your online activity continuously.
In light of this, it would be wise to conduct an ongoing audit of the extensions you have installed. You should have a faster browser if you uninstall the ones you don't use much (you can always install them again later).
To access your extensions in Chrome, click the three dots in the upper right corner, then select Extensions and Manage Extensions. You can use the toggle switches to turn off add-ons and the Remove buttons to remove them. In Firefox, select Add-ons and Themes after clicking the three horizontal lines in the upper right corner. Once more, toggle switches allow you to enable and disable extensions; however, if you want to delete them, simply click the three dots and select Remove.
If you're using Microsoft Edge for web browsing, locate the toggle switches (for enabling and deactivating) and Remove buttons (for removing) by clicking the three dots (top right), followed by Extensions and Manage Extensions. Lastly, select Settings from the Safari menu. From there, you may activate and disable add-ons and remove them using the Uninstall buttons and checkboxes.
Turning On Optimization
This one relates more to your particular online browser, however the majority of contemporary browsers have one or more features that are intended to enhance your browsing experience. Make sure you are aware of the capabilities that are available in your browser and how to enable them through the settings.
Click the three dots in the upper right corner of Google Chrome, then select Settings & Performance: You can activate Preload pages, which loads pages you're likely to visit next in the background, and Memory saver, which snoozes idle tabs to free up memory.
To activate hardware acceleration, select the System tab. This will assign more demanding visual and audio duties to your computer's dedicated graphics and audio components, allowing them to be handled more effectively.
In Microsoft Edge, you can access many performance-enhancing tools such as hardware acceleration and tab snoozing by selecting Settings and System and Performance from the three dots located at the top right corner. Another option is to strike a compromise between efficiency (reducing the energy requirements of the browser) and power (utilizing all of your system's resources).
There is only one Firefox setting that you should activate: Select Settings and General after clicking the three horizontal lines in the upper right corner to Make use of the suggested performance parameters to activate hardware acceleration.
Meanwhile, you may configure Safari, Settings, and Tabs to automatically close inactive tabs to free up system resources after a predetermined period of time.
Starting Over From The Beginning
One additional choice, you can always remove your browser and install it afresh from scratch, however this won't work for operating system-specific browsers like Safari or Edge. This entails deleting all of your extensions, customized settings, and any incompletely deleted temporary data files. Your browser will essentially start over from scratch as a result, returning to its previous speed.
In Windows, you can uninstall programs by clicking Settings from the Start menu, selecting programs, and then Installed apps. You can click the three dots next to each app to reveal the uninstall option. To uninstall your browsers on macOS, locate them in the Applications folder in Finder and drag their respective icons to the dock's trash can icon.
If you are prompted to erase the data connected to your browser at the same time, you should accept this if you want a completely fresh start free of all accumulated clutter. After that, you can use the internet to redownload your preferred browser and begin the setup procedure all over again.
There's an option in Firefox that allows you to reset the program and get it back to how it was before going through the hassle of uninstalling and reinstalling it. To access Help and more troubleshooting information, click the three horizontal lines (upper right), and then select Refresh Firefox.