Chrome is Slow on Windows 11: How to Get Rid of the Lag

Google Chrome is the leading Internet browser, and six out of ten users use it to browse the Internet. One of the overwhelming reasons for this high adoption level is its speed, reliability, and performance.

However, many of our readers reported that Chrome is slow in Windows 11, and their browsing experience is altered.

There are a variety of different reasons that can impact its speed and performance. Some possible reasons include high disk usage, too many open tabs, some extensions, a high volume of caches, and more. 

Before fixing it, let’s take a more in-depth look at the possible causes of why Chrome is slow in Windows 11.

Why is Chrome suddenly so slow?

Chrome can slow down for many reasons, ranging from intense memory usage to an outdated version.

➡ Cache

Chrome can slow down when you have too many tabs open as it holds the cache or temp files in its memory for a long time.

While this can speed up your browsing experience, storing too much browsing history can also slow it down.

➡ Outdated browser

An outdated browser can slow your browsing experience as it may not have the latest patches/fixes.

The updates often happen automatically, but for some reason, if it doesn’t happen in your system due to the existing settings, you may have to do it manually.

➡ Resource Usage

Another probable reason is excess resource usage. Chrome uses multiple threads to improve your browsing and user experience, which can sometimes take up many resources.

While it is hard to pinpoint the exact reason, some of the other possible causes may be:

• Extensive use of Chrome add-ons and extensions
• Opening too many tabs
• Large browser history
• Poor Internet connection

Fortunately, there are many simple ways to fix this Chrome slow Windows 11 issue, and you will have to follow our guide below.

Quick Tip:

While Chrome can become slow and laggy due to cache or history data, you can try a faster and more reliable browser like Opera One.

Using this browser instead will give you enhanced security online with its free VPN or integrated ad-blocker. Hence, you’ll get improved speed to navigate freely on your PC.

Opera One

Benefit from faster navigation with this browser and light resource usage on your Windows 11 PC.

Free Visit website

How do I make Chrome run faster on Windows 11?

1. Restart your browser

1. Click on the X button from the top right corner to close the browser and try restarting it again. If it doesn’t work, try the next step to close the browser completely.
2. Right-click the Start button and select Task Manager from the list.
3. Click on Google Chrome from the list of processes and hit the End task option from the bottom right corner.
4. Now try to start Chrome again and see if you have the same problem.

The simplest solution is often the most effective, at least in the world of computers! That is to close Chrome and start it again. Once done, the Google Chrome lagging issue in Windows is fixed.

2. Clear the browsing data

1. At the top right-hand corner, look for three vertically-lined dots and click them.
2. Navigate to More Tools, then click on Clear Browsing History.
3. Click on Privacy and security from the left pane, then select the Clear browsing data option.
4. Click on the Time range tab and select All time from the list of options.
5. Now, decide what data you want to remove (preferably all of them) and then choose Clear data.
6. Restart Chrome and see if it now works faster than before. 

Another possible reason for a slow Chrome in Windows 11 is excess stored data. Chrome stores all your data, including the sites you visit, websites’ cookies, cached images, files, etc.

These data levels can quickly add up, depending on how much time you spend browsing the Internet. 

Since Chrome has to load all the data at startup, it can be slow. So, consider deleting unwanted data and browsing history so your Chrome loads faster. 

3. Use Chrome’s Task Manager

1. Click on the three vertical dots button from the top right corner to access Chrome’s menu.
2. Select More tools and choose Task manager from the list. You can also open Chrome’s Task manager using the Shift + Esc key combination.
3. Look for unuseful processes that consume more CPU resources, click on them, then hit the End Process button from the bottom right corner. Chrome can’t work with some methods; if you end them, Chrome will restart them immediately.

Chrome runs multiple processes in the background, which can take up many of your CPU resources, leading to a slow Windows 11.

An excellent way to fix this is to open Chrome’s Task Manager to look through the processes and end the unwanted ones.

4. Disable the preload option

1. Click on the three vertically-aligned dots from the top right corner and select Settings from the list.
2. Navigate to the Privacy and Security option on the left-hand pane, then select Cookies and other site data.
3. Look for an option called Preload pages for faster browsing and searching, and disable it.
4. Restart Chrome and see if it is faster now.

Chrome uses your browsing history to predict what pages you will likely open and preloads them for you.

While this can be convenient, it is often a waste of your resources and can cause Chrome to slow down in Windows 11.

To avoid this bottleneck, disable the preload option using the steps above. This option will significantly increase your Chrome speed and performance and is a proper fix for Chrome working slowly in Windows 11.

5. Remove Chrome extensions

1. Click on the three vertically-aligned dots on the right-hand top corner.
2. Navigate to More tools and click on Extensions. 
3. Go through this list and remove the ones you don’t need by clicking the Remove button in each extension. You can also deactivate them by toggling off the switch to their lower right corner, so they don’t load.

Using many extensions can cause Chrome to be slow in Windows 11. First, check the installed browser extensions and remove the ones you don’t need. Finally, restart Chrome and check if it is faster.

6. Update Chrome

1. Click the three vertically-lined dots on the top right-hand corner and select Settings.
2. On the Settings page, select About Chrome on the left-hand pane.
3. If your browser is up-to-date, you can see it; otherwise, Google will auto-update when you open this page. 

Google releases regular updates in the form of Chromium builds that address its existing issues and vulnerabilities.

It’s a good idea to install these updates monthly to ensure that your browser is up-to-date with the latest version. 

You should reset the browser if Chrome is still slow after a Windows 11 update.

7. Reset Google Chrome

1. Click the three vertical dots on the top right corner and select Settings.
2. Select the Advanced option from the left, and after it expands, click on Reset and clean up.
3. Choose Restore settings to their original defaults.
4. Now you only have to click on Reset settings.

Thus, these are some ways to address the slow Chrome issues in Windows 11. So, it would help if you tried all these options to see which works for you.

Does clearing history make Chrome faster?

To make your browser faster, you need to rid it of as much data as possible.

Your browser history is some data even though, in some cases, it may be so small and insignificant. However, clearing it will reduce the amount of data the browser holds and may make the browser generally faster.

However, in reality, the difference may be minute and negligible.

To conclude, Chrome being slow to open in Windows 11 can be due to many reasons, and we strongly suggest you run through each of the above options, as one of them is sure to fix your problem, depending on the underlying cause.

Note that if all browsers are slow in Windows 11, you may consider a malware scan of the entire system. Also, some Windows 11 Chrome users have said disabling hardware acceleration has also helped.

However, if you can’t make Chrome work as it should, we have a list of the best browsers for Windows 11, and you may choose a better one.

Contact us through the comments section if you have questions regarding a slow Chrome in Windows 11.

You can also read about fixing high CPU usage in Windows 11, which can make Chrome and other apps run faster on Windows 11.