Google Chrome Introduces New Features
Google Chrome has often been criticized for its resource-intensive nature, particularly on Windows 11 and 10 systems. While the browser is often blamed for high memory usage, it’s important to note that some websites themselves contribute to this issue. In response to these concerns, Google is introducing a new feature in the beta version of Google Chrome Canary that simplifies the process of monitoring tab memory usage.
Traditionally, users could check the memory usage of tabs and extensions by accessing the Google Chrome Task Manager. However, Google aims to streamline this process even further. In the latest testing phase, Chrome Canary allows users to see, in real-time, the amount of memory a specific open tab is consuming simply by hovering the mouse cursor over it.
While this feature is a welcome addition to Chrome, it’s not as comprehensive as the built-in task manager. It provides a quick overview of tab performance but doesn’t offer detailed insights into running processes, tabs, and extensions. However, it does make it easier for users to identify tabs that are using excessive resources and manually close them. If you don’t see this feature, you can enable it by going to “Chrome://flags,” selecting “Memory usage on hover,” and restarting the browser.
Google provides other tools for monitoring performance as well. The Chrome DevTool’s performance monitor, for instance, offers a more detailed view of memory usage and other crucial metrics like CPU usage, frames per second (FPS), and Document Object Model (DOM) activity.
Google has been actively working on several performance-related improvements for Chrome. In a significant update last year, the company introduced two features that can reduce the browser’s memory usage by up to 40 percent and extend battery life when the device’s battery falls below 20 percent. The Memory Saver feature, now integrated into the new hover card functionality, automatically frees up memory on inactive tabs, enabling more resources to be allocated to active tabs and processes.
With these advancements, Google is striving to enhance the overall user experience by making it easier to manage memory-hungry tabs and improve Chrome’s performance on various platforms.