Google Chrome will display performance issue alerts when a tab is using a lot of resources
Google has introduced some new features to help improve the browsing experience in Chrome.
A web page on Google's support portal says that Chrome's performance settings are located under the following section: More > Settings > Performance > General. It also says that the setting is enabled by default.
But if you try to go to that section, it is probably not available for you yet. There's a way to enable the feature, using a Chrome flag. Speaking of which, the Performance alerts features was first introduced in the Google Chrome Canary channel in July 2024, before they were made available in the stable channel.
Did you know?
How to enable performance issue alerts in Google Chrome
- Open chrome://flags/
- Type the word "performance" in the search bar at the top of the page.
- You should see a result that is described as follows:
"Enable performance intervention suggestions.
When enabled, performance intervention UI will automatically pop up and suggest tabs to take action on during times of poor performance. – Mac, Windows, Linux, ChromeOS, Lacros
- 4. Click on the drop-down menu next to the option, and set it to Enabled.
- 5. Close Chrome and re-open it by clicking the Relaunch button.
- 6. Navigate to the Settings > Performance Settings > General section, and the option is now available.
You can turn it off if you don't find the alerts to be useful.
The option is also available in Brave Browser, though it is hidden in the Settings screen, you'll need to use the search function to make it appear. Even though you can enable the flag in Vivaldi and Opera, the preference related to it is nowhere to be found under the Settings in either browser. The flag is missing in Microsoft Edge.
When enabled, the feature will display a notification, well technically it is just a badge that resembles the Performance icon (odometer). The icon appears on the toolbar, next to your profile picture. Clicking on it displays a warning that some tabs are using extra resources, and that Chrome can fix the problem by making the tabs inactive. In other words, it shows the tabs that are slowing down Chrome, and offers to put them to sleep using the Memory Saver feature. You could do this manually, by monitoring resource-intensive tabs by using Chrome's Task Manager. But that is probably a bit of an advanced tool, which average users may not know how to use, so the performance issue alerts can be useful for them. I prefer using the Auto Tab Discard extension (Firefox/Chrome) to suspend tabs.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get the performance alert to actually show up in Chrome. I tried opening several tabs, from shopping sites to video streaming services, none of these showed any sort of warning. I even throttled the Network speed under the Developer Console in Chrome and loaded some heavy pages, but didn't run into the pop-up that I was hoping to see. That is a good thing though, as it means everything is working fine, but it would have been interesting to observe the Performance Fix in action.
You can see a demo of the Performance Detection Tool on Google's blog, to get an idea of how it works.
While reading am watching a yt video, hover the mouse over the tab shows memory used, 540 MB “only” on 720p video in small window view… it has gone totally to hell how much memory browsers are using per tab nowadays.
In the past it was possible to hold open several hundred tabs on an old windows xp and using a single core processor, now an older quadcore processor can’t hold up in performance.
Feels like a suspect conspiracy because many pc’s are becoming obsolete because of the memory and cpu resource hungry browsers, also yt’s changed it’s website background technology which is also big part of the problem.
Edge is a good browser, using few resources, especially on Youtube, with sleep tabs and collections. It is also a safe browser with smartscreen for Edge.
Working with different profiles is very easy. Just don’t login.
Since it is installed on Win 10/11 your privacy is already compromised anyway.
You have to carefully adjust the settings to get quite some privacy. The settings are clearly laid out, the reason why I don’t use Vivaldi, which requires a Phd .
“Useless thing, it’s better to add some RAM or buy a new CPU than this. Alerts mean nothing if the browser sucks itself. Chrome eats resources like there was no tomorrow. Better Vivaldi or Edge.”
Edge? HAHHHAHHAHHA Edge!? You mean the proprietary browser the convicted monopoly (M$) TOOK FROM GOOGLE?
ARE YOU FOR REAL? HAHHHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHH
@The Edge of My Hatred You forget one Ha.
Too much coffee, please take a breath and please make some sport. Don’t seat yourself for hours and hours.
@The Edge of My Hatred, you have never used Edge in your whole life.
No coffee here, @Giant Hide, deep breaths all day long and moreover when I read comments such as yours, sports like boxing and boxing motivation when reading comments such as yours … and yet I have to agree with @The Edge of My Hatred : Edge, the browser, is a total piece of craps and I’d add : no surprise when the developer is Microsoft.
Clear enough or should be go through dozens, hundreds, thousands of Edge reviews all around the Web?
@Tom Hawack
Edge with AdGuard Blocker extension is better than any other browser with one built-in adblocker. Indeed Adguard extension is absolutely priceless compared with UblockOrigin.
1. Text speech reader of MS’s Edge is used here in my work to read the news of handicapped people, with the best quality I have ever seen. Even better that our old software 500€ value.
2. Edge’s built-in VPN is the best VPN for banking purposes ever done, absolutely priceless and mostly it’s the only one that currently works with all the security stuff that I applied to connect for secure online shopping. Even NordVPN failed for me in some secured websites.
3. Edge’s built-in enhanced privacy and security options are by far the best currently available, better than some options used in NoScript extension by Maone. I was forced to disabled Maone’s in Firefox ESR because it was a completely nightmare. And indeed Edge’s one has broken no single website for me since 2022. Two years of enjoying security for free.
4. Edge’s built in screen capture is the best of its category, with the best quality of all screen capture tools. Even better than W11 built-in screen capture in my opinion for some reasons that I could not explain here in few lines. Anyway, it works for me so nicely that it’s priceless.
5. Edge is able to print directly to PDF with no quality loss, and it works with printers better than Firefox. The only browser that can be compared in the same quality is Chrome.
Anyway, are you able to use the newest version of Edge in your Windows 7 computer?
Sure you should drink more coffee, one or two cups. Not as much as @The Edge of My Hatred, who is obvious overreacting and possible so nervous.
@An old friend, I’ll start by the end of your comment to continue on a clean and clear ground : my home PC is one thing, and indeed it runs under Windows 7 hence no Edge browser, but I do happen to piano on keyboards tied to other OSs, and I discover other horizons :) Edge in my experience was perceived — perceived — as heavy and bloated. Among friends and relatives we share and exchange of course ideas, on life, on computing but none of us stands up for Edge, edge of the cliff as one of them puts it. But OK, I’m not deeply acquainted to Edge, that is true. Impressions, and first impressions are not *always* relevant of those to follow.
–
Point is, looks I’m stuck with first impressions which do not motivate me to conceive giving the browser a thorough chance. Beyond impressions, now :
For 1) I have a true and non-irrational approach of Microsoft, the company. I’ve stated computing with the company’s first OSs, had no grief against it until the Windows 10 strategy to get users to upgrade in a rude way, remember. Those times corresponded to an increasing awareness of tracking features and it appeared, to later on be confirmed the trend was to more. That’s when I added the ‘M’ to GAFA. Ever since I avoid all of GAFAM to the maximum extent of my knowledge.
For 2), sequence is “What if I was wrong, let’s reset our souls to neutrality and consider Edge in a generously fed objectivity. Needs time of course but maybe bouncing on your report of Edge’s qualities could be a start.
Frankly, in my browsing experience, I need not so called innovations which are plaguing browser nowadays and which i consider for the most as gadgets not to mention unnecessary shortcuts to features which exist natively. What you describe may be useful in your environment, but remains for the most superfluous in mine.
What you mention about Edge’s native privacy features leaves me skeptical, sorry to be straightforward, not to understate you’d mislead but rather that you as many others may not consider and require privacy to be as improvable as it is and, mainly, sorry to repeat myself, extremely improvable in all GAFAM products : I do not believe in a company’s commitment to privacy when their latest browsers are filled with core tracking.
Hence, i remain committed to alternatives, always, systematically, to software, applications andservices provided by the “institutional” leaders of the computing market. Am I — should I be I wouldn’t be the only one – paranoid? Maybe but, be I or not does not influence reality, does it? I’m assuming reality in my terms which may differ in those of others. But we do with what seems to be our truth. From there on I shouldn’t have written that Edge is craps but rather that Edge, in my view, definitely is. Perhaps I’ve lost my nerves when my reply was to a comment which, in its style, got me on the … edge of irritation :)
No idea who you are old friend but, as you see and must know, answering calmly to a somewhat undiplomatic comment is the best way to bring things back to a blue sky. All the best.
@Tom Hawack
Before to see things, you first have to open your eyes. And the eyes will remain closed as long as one wants, for sure. In other words, if you only have Firefox in your head and in your heart, Edge will never be as good as it seems. In other words, what makes Firefox good for you is the main reason what makes other browsers bad for you. Not really a big problem, because you are happy. Period then, please stop reading. Anyway, with Windows 7 the same thing happens to you, because one thing is to be insistent and another one is to be irredeemable. Although well, Asterix and Obelix was also irredeemable and here they are still “alive”. All you need to say to finish this discussion is that Firefox is French, and W7 too, being maintaned with the healthy druids juice. Not a joke, please forgive me if you thing I am joking. A french Firefox would be understood much better in the love way of loving things beyond the duty. But I tell you that this comment has been wrote in some kind of lovingly way, obviously, because you always have good words too, even with those who don’t deserve them. See you in another article with less coffee (or more), regards.
An old friend.
Edge is better than you think. Are you able to think? Then do think first, and they you write. In that order, dude.
Useless thing, it’s better to add some RAM or buy a new CPU than this. Alerts mean nothing if the browser sucks itself. Chrome eats resources like there was no tomorrow. Better Vivaldi or Edge.
@Skywet, “Alerts mean nothing if the browser itself sucks.”
Indeed one of the best phrases for sure.