Toni Dimaano Tech 12.09.2022 01:Dec AM EST

Google Chrome Rolls Out New Memory and Battery Saving Features

Google's latest update for Chrome on desktop devices comes with performance-boosting features that free up memory and save energy while browsing.

According to CNet, these features that rolled out on Thursday are meant to make the Google Chrome experience smoother for its users.

The New Chrome Update Champions Efficiency In RAM And Battery

Similar to the sleeping tabs on Microsoft Edge, Chrome's Memory Saver frees up memories from inactive tabs, especially in situations where they are media-heavy.

Memory Saver freezes these tabs into an inactive state until users need to use them again or until they turn the feature off manually.

This feature will use up to 30% less memory by suspending inactive tabs and prioritizes the tabs that are actually in use, CNBC reports.

Memory Saver sends notifications to users when it is activated with an icon appearing on the upper right-hand corner of Chrome indicating how much space was cleared.

According to Chrome Group Product Manager Mark Chang, the feature is especially useful if the user is running other intensive applications while using Google Chrome.

Lastly, the Memory Saver feature will also be able to mark users' most important websites based on usage to know which tabs to not suspend.

In addition to the Memory Saving feature, Google also added a second performance-improving update, which extends the user's device battery life.

Bleeping Computer writes that the Energy Saver feature is triggered once the battery of the device goes down to 20%, which saves energy by limiting activities on open tabs.

When activated, Google Chrome will have a visual indicator appear in the menu bar, which is a little leaf icon that can be clicked at any time to turn it on or off.

Like the Memory Saver feature, Energy Saver is another update that takes a similar approach to a feature that has already been on Microsoft Edge for a while.

Users Will Have Full Control Of These New Features

According to XDA Developers, users will be able to find the Memory Saver and Energy Saver features under the three-dot icon menu in Chrome.

Additionally, users can choose which websites will have the Memory Saver feature running and which websites they want to be exempt from it.

The new update will be launched globally over the next few weeks, but users can start optimizing their experience by updating Chrome to stay updated with the latest releases.

To simplify the process, users may follow the following steps:

Open Chrome on your desktop.
On the top right, click the three-dot icon.
Go to Help > About Google Chrome.
Click Update Google Chrome. If you can't find this button, it means you're already on the latest version.
Once you've updated, relaunch the Chrome browser.
In Settings, you should see a new Performance sidebar menu with these two new features.

In July, Google also announced that it is testing the Quick Intensive Throttling feature, which decreased the CPU usage time by 10% to extend battery life on devices.