Chrome Will Stop Clearing Memory When Tabs Freeze, Here’s Why

Despite testing Infinite Tabs Freezing, Google is making a quiet but meaningful change to how Chrome handles tabs on desktop. Chrome will turn off something called “Memory Purge on Freeze” by default. This change affects how your computer manages memory when you have lots of tabs open.

Usually, when you leave a tab, Chrome freezes it so it stops using resources. Until now, Chrome has also cleared some of that tab’s memory to save space. But Google’s recent tests found that this extra cleanup didn’t make things faster and could actually make reopening tabs slower.

Chrome Updates Frozen Tab Handling for Faster Switching

Now, Chrome will keep frozen tabs in memory instead of clearing them out. If you come back to a tab you left earlier, it loads quickly as opposed to refreshing or starting over.

Google tested this on Windows, Mac, and Chromebook devices. They found there’s no drop in performance when memory purging is turned off. This adjustment lets Chrome freeze more tabs without slowing down or overloading the computer.

For anyone who likes to keep many tabs open, this means switching back and forth should feel easier. The update will roll out on Chrome for Windows, Mac, and Chromebooks. Tab switching should feel quicker, with frozen pages ready as soon as you need them.

This small change could make Chrome a bit faster when moving between tabs. Instead of reloading frozen pages, Chrome now keeps them ready in memory so they reopen instantly.

That’s not all. Chrome is preparing a new Next New Tab with Action Chips and a redesigned search box. Google is also using Gemini AI for Chrome code reviews, and testing a CPU Performance API that helps websites see how powerful your device is.