As a web browser, Chrome is the choice of many thanks to Google’s integration of other services and the user account with its settings Using Google Chrome.
Google Chrome, in addition to its distinctive features and user benefits, is also known as a web browser that consumes too much RAM. The negative context of this is even more pronounced with devices with more modest performance or with pronounced multitasking where it’s evident that high memory usage slows down the computer. Google is, therefore, working hard to speed up Chrome and Using Google Chrome.
Auto Tab Discard
Let’s be honest, speed is the basis of the user experience today, and as soon as we notice that a simple action takes a long time, we simply switch to software that will be faster.
Google Chrome received a small upgrade in November to make searching faster, but the move still left controversial memory usage in the web browser, which in some cases can affect common activities such as switching between tabs.
Users expect RAM usage to be optimized on Google Chrome, but in fact, there’s already a solution to this problem with one of the many extensions – the “Auto Tab Discard” extension for Google Chrome. It’s interesting and useful due to the fact that it can reduce the requirements for working memory.
Auto Tab Discard puts unused tabs in Google Chrome in suspended status, i.e. excluded. This move can potentially slow down access to tabs but, at the same time, free up a large amount of working memory. How fast the tabs open may depend more on the Internet connection, and those tabs that we use more often can also be marked and are excluded from the mentioned excluded status.
The proper operation of the Auto Tab Discard extension is evident when we have a large number of open tabs, some of which will automatically ‘freeze’, and all portable devices used will reduce battery consumption.
The Main Features of the Auto Tab Discard
- Speeding up the web browser and minimizing memory usage – inactive tabs automatically shut down after a certain amount of time (which can be set) or their shutdown can be set independently.
- Marking tabs (web pages) that are exempt from exclusion.
- Marked exclusion tabs remain in the same status when the web browser is shut down and reopened.
- Tabs have a so-called “favicon” (small image icon) showing their status (active for use or off).
- Tab settings don’t change when returning to active status (e.g. scrolling position or content of filled “text boxes”).
- When the tab is off, JavaScript code and other elements aren’t active (the tab is literally paused).
- You can automatically adjust the tab off in some domains where the memory consumption is higher.
This interesting extension has some more practical options for setting tabs off:
- in situations where the tab is marked,
- when certain media content is displayed within a tab,
- when the computer is connected to a power source,
- when a new formative element appears inside the tab that isn’t part of the previous settings.
New Solutions for Setting up Open Tabs
When using the Auto Tab Discard, there’s an option to enable additional, smaller plug-ins that bring new solutions for setting up open tabs:
- Disabling of inactive tab status for each subsequent or previously opened tab.
- Disabling of tabs in the active window.
- Excluding all newly created, inactive, tabs after they are loaded.
- Saving, i.e. recording of the time point at which the YouTube video stopped before the tab was turned off.
- Permanently removing old, excluded tabs if they aren’t active.
It should be noted that there’s another extension for Google Chrome with similar effects. It’s “The Great Suspender” extension which also excludes tabs to reduce the use of working memory. Although at first glance it may seem that these are the same extensions, Auto Tab Discard in its application of the tab method has mechanisms that prevent the loss of excluded tabs when the extension is removed or when the web browser is turned off and an error occurs.
It can be said that the Auto Tab Discard has similar features as Edge’s tactics for saving working memory which resulted in almost 27% less RAM consumption. Google wanted to implement Microsoft’s tactics but later found that it intensified CPU usage, and eventually set up its own extension in a slightly different way.
Conclusion
Auto Tab Discard can be an ideal extension for anyone who wants to reduce the excessive use of working memory while working in Chrome, and this is especially true for gamers. This extension will be great if you want to open various statistics, maps, or some other websites while playing video games or games of chance (which abound in online casinos by the link). In these situations, you won’t have to worry about RAM consumption, and video game activity won’t have accompanying glitches or slowdowns just because you’ve opened a few tabs.
The same applies to users who’re obliged to use multitasking in their work. In order to get up to speed and optimize your performance in Google Chrome, it’s definitely recommended to download the Auto Tab Discard extension, which can be really helpful, especially when using devices whose battery is running low.
The last update of the Auto Tab Discard extension was on January 5 this year, and in this tutorial, you can get a deeper insight into its capabilities and how it’s used.
