How to tell if a Google Chrome extension is slowing down the browser

Chrome extensions are perfect tools to enhance your browser experience. However, these can become a double-edged sword, as some can slow down browser performance significantly.

The problem is that after installing several of them, it is not easy to discover which one is causing the problem. To take the necessary measures and eliminate it. But below we tell you in detail how to solve this situation.

Extensions are undoubtedly useful tools that can improve Chrome’s functionality. however, When your browser starts showing signs of slowness, add-ons may be the prime suspects.

A recent study by DebugBear analyzed over 5,000 extensions to determine their impact on Chrome performance. The results revealed that some extensions, especially VPNs, can cause significant delays because they redirect traffic through intermediary servers.

Plugins like Trancy AI Subtitles and Klarna Pay Later can also cause long loading times.

Other add-ons, although they do not increase initial loading times, can affect speed when interacting with web pages. This is the case with some tools that run their code after the page is fully loaded. Although the effect may be minor, it may result in a less smooth user experience.

Figuring out which extension is affecting Chrome’s performance may seem like a complicated task, especially if you have several installed. However, there are effective ways to identify culprits:

• Using Chrome Task Manager:

Chrome has a built-in task manager that allows you to see how many resources each extension is using. To access it, open Chrome, click on the three-dot menu in the upper right corner, Select “More Tools” and then “Task Manager.” Here you can see the CPU and memory usage for each extension.

Another option is to disable and enable all extensions one by one, checking browser performance after each activation. This can help you identify which extension is causing problems.

Once you have identified the problematic extensions, the next step is to remove them. Here we will explain to you how to do this:

1. Open Chrome and click on the three-dot menu button in the upper right corner.
2. Select “More Tools” then “Extensions”.
3. A page with all installed extensions will open. Here you can disable or remove extensions by clicking on the corresponding button.
4. If you decide to remove an extension, be sure to restart Chrome for the changes to take effect.

Sometimes extensions can leave traces on your system, even after you uninstall them from Chrome. To remove them completely, go to the Chrome installation location, which is usually located at: C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\UserData\Default.

Then open the extensions folder and delete the extensions folders that you want to remove. Then restart Chrome and make sure that the removed extensions do not appear in the extensions list.

In addition to removing problematic extensions, it’s important to adopt some best practices to avoid performance issues in the future:

• Before adding a new extension, research it. Read reviews and ratings on the Chrome Web Store, check the number of downloads, and find information about the creator. This can help you avoid malicious or poorly designed extensions.
• Add-ons, like any software, require updates to maintain their functionality and security. Make sure all your extensions are up to date by visiting the Chrome Web Store regularly.
• Less is more when it comes to add-ons. Install only the programs you need, and uninstall the programs you don’t use. This will not only improve Chrome’s performance but will also reduce potential security vulnerabilities.