Speed Up Your Chrome Browsing by Picking the Right Extensions
Not All Extensions are Created Equal
Are you experiencing a slower Chrome browser? The problem might lie within the extensions you've installed. A recent study by DebugBear, a web page optimizing service, has found that some Chrome extensions can significantly slow down your browsing experience.
Worst Offenders
Extensions that process data before a page has rendered, such as certain VPNs, have shown to delay page loading by as much as a full second. This is due to the fact that VPNs route traffic through an intermediary server. Other known culprits of longer load times include Trancy AI Subtitles and Klarna Pay Later.
It's Not All Bad News
However, not all extensions are disadvantageous. Those that run their code after the page has loaded seem to have a lesser impact on the browser's performance. For example, the Monica AI Assistant actually reduces page load speeds, as it begins running as soon as the page starts loading.
Page Interactions Matter Too
Slow page interactions are another issue caused by some extensions, affecting your ability to click through websites efficiently. For instance, Avira Password Manager can add a 160 millisecond delay when interacting with page elements. While the delay seems minor, it may compound with multiple extensions, potentially resulting in an entire second of delay.
Ad-Blockers to the Rescue
Fortunately, most ad-blockers like uBlock Origin can improve your browsing experience by decreasing the average CPU processing time on ad-heavy websites from 57 seconds down to under 4 seconds. This not only speeds up your browsing but also saves computer power.
What Can You Do?
If you find your browser lagging, there are a couple of steps you can take:
- Uninstall or restrict usage of heavy extensions
- Use DebugBear's Chrome Extension Performance Lookup tool to find efficient extensions
- Refer to TechRadar's list of the best ad blockers for alternative options beyond uBlock Origin
Ultimately, the responsibility falls on extension developers to optimize their tools for better performance. Yet, with a bit of research and selective installation, you can streamline your browsing and keep Chrome running smoothly.
