For the last few years, Firefox has been the only browser I use regularly. I’ve never cheated on it. Oh sure, I’ve had brief flings. I tried my best to really like Safari on my Macs, but it always left me cold. I don’t use Windows enough to have Internet Explorer as my main browser. And none of the Linux browsers, such as Konqueror, floated my boat enough to lure me away from Firefox when I was using one of those operating systems.
Yes, no matter how hard I tried to make things work with other browsers, I always drifted back to Firefox.
Google has confirmed a recent update to Chrome was to patch a zero-day issue in the popular browser, an exploit that was actively used in attacks, and has recommended all Chrome users on Mac. How to Reset Chrome Browser Settings to Default. Again, this resets just about everything to do with Chrome web browser on a Mac, Windows, or Linux PC, so be certain that is what you want to do: Open the Chrome browser to a new browser window; Click on the dots icon button in the upper right corner, then choose “Settings”. Aug 28, 2020 People uninstall Google Chrome on Mac when they switch browsers, or just want to clean up unused apps and remove clutter.; To ensure Google removes your information from its servers, you should clear browsing data and profile information, too. Although leading Web browsers now share most of the same features, important differences remain. Erik Eckel explores whether Google Chrome or Apple's Safari best serves Mac business users. Google Chrome is by far the most popular browser on the planet. I mean the browser has captured more than 65% of the market share which is something quite phenomenal. While the browser works like a charm right out of the box, there are certain hidden settings and features that can make your experience even better.
Well, no more. As of today, I am dumping Firefox. I have a new love.
Google Chrome.
Full Speed Ahead with Chrome!
I just installed the beta of Chrome on my Mac and it absolutely screams! The difference between it and poor, chunky Firefox is pretty much night and day. Pages load significantly faster; even media-heavy sites like Facebook, where I play Farmville, are quite zippy.
Google Chrome is giving me a browsergasm! And I love it!
I’ve noticed that even if I keep a ton of tabs open in each window, Chrome seems to use less memory and to manage it much more effectively. Firefox has always been a huge memory pig. I closed Firefox down a little while ago and it had been using about 378MB of memory. I have about the same number of tabs open in a couple of windows in Chrome and it’s only using about 154MB.
What Went Wrong With Firefox?
So where did Firefox go astray? For some reason it seems to have lagged behind in some respects. It’s still uses up ridiculous amounts of memory and loads pages significantly slower than Chrome or even Safari.
I seriously hope that the Firefox developers are taking a good look at both browsers and are figuring out ways to improve their browser’s performance. It simply cannot continue to be as pokey as it is, nor can it continue to consume memory like a whale swallowing plankton.
If a longtime and proud Firefox user—I still have the Firefox 1.0 T-shirt I bought for $20 at a trade show years ago—is switching to Chrome, is Firefox in trouble? Will people abandon it in droves in favor of Chrome, Safari, or some other browser? I sure hope not—but you never know.
Take a look at browser statistics and how they’ve changed over the last few years. Years ago, Internet Explorer ruled the Web browsing roost. These days, Firefox is really closing in. But Chrome is no minor competitor that Firefox can afford to ignore. Firefox could very well find itself in last place if improvements aren’t made to it—and quickly.
Despite my current love of Chrome, I will be rooting for Firefox to be improved. I hate it when any one company gets too much of a particular market, so I want lots of browser choices available. The more competition in browsers, the better off all Web users will be.
So I hope Firefox is buffed up in future releases. If it is, I reserve the right to switch back.
Firefox, I hardly knew ye.
Why Not Safari?
It might seem strange to some folks that Safari wouldn’t be my default browser when I’m using my Macs. Well, I’ve tried very hard to like it, I really have. But I’ve just never been able to warm up to it. No matter how hard I’ve tried, it’s always remained an also-ran browser (except on the iPhone—but that’s only because I had no other choice).
There’s something cold and icky about the Safari interface. It’s not a very friendly-looking browser at all. I also hate the fact that it has no sidebar like Firefox. Okay, Chrome doesn’t have it either, but it has enough other virtues to help me overlook the sidebar thing.
For a while it looked like Apple had smartened up and put the tabs at the top of the browser, but Apple reversed itself and now the tabs work the same way they do on Firefox. After using Chrome, I hate having the tabs display that way. I want them at the top like they are in Chrome.
Safari also doesn’t have the excellent extension ecosystem that Firefox has (and that I hope Chrome will eventually have on the Mac). Apple has never gone out of its way to make it easy or fun for Safari users to extend its functionality. This is yet another example of Apple trying to exercise the maximum amount of control over its products at the expense of the functionality needs of the user.
With the onslaught of Chrome on the Mac and in Linux, I think Safari’s days are numbered with its current market share. (It’s already been announced that Chrome surpassed it in December.) There really isn’t anything about it that is particularly appealing, even on the Mac. If Apple is going to save Safari, it will have to step up its browser game to match the more dynamic and extensible Chrome and Firefox.
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Chrome is the preferred web browser for thousands of users as it seamlessly syncs across devices and effectively integrates with all of Google’s products. But this makes it especially annoying when the usually speedy web browser slows to a snail’s pace.
Luckily, we’ve got a couple of ways that should help Chrome get back to the peak condition in no time, allowing you to get back into the swing of things as quickly as possible.
Note: there is no one-fit-all solution that can speed up Chrome like magic. A slow Chrome is usually due to a specific cause, or in many cases a combination of several.
Let’s get started to pinpoint before getting them fixed, and make your Chrome browser fast again.
Reason 1: Your Cache is Beyond Overworked
Maybe you’ve heard this one before — but for a good reason! The cache seems like the mysterious fix-all solution for dozens of tech issues, but it’s actually very important to keep up to date on.
The cache is the temporary storage file where Chrome stores frequently used information in order to load that information faster. However, once this very limited space becomes full, the browser can’t react as quickly to new sites that you want to load and becomes bogged down searching for information.
To fix this, you just need to clear the cache. First navigate to the top right of chrome, where there is an icon with three dots: then choose More Tools > Clear Browsing Data. You’ll be prompted to pick a time range, in this case, “all time” is your best bet. You should also check all of the boxes.
It will take a bit for your Mac to speed up after doing this since it will need to rebuild the important parts of the cache. But overall, you should see performance pick up pace pretty quickly.
Wait…for those of you who are using CleanMyMac (if you’re not, you should), it’s even easier to get this done. Just open the app, go to Privacy > Chrome > Cookies, and hit the “Remove” button.
By the way, CleanMyMac also does a number of other things. It’s an app that we use and recommend for most Mac users unless you’re super tech-savvy. You can learn more about the app from the official MacPaw site here.
Reason 2: Chrome is Outdated
It’s easy to close the reminder box and postpone updates, especially when they require restarting apps you installed or worse, the whole computer. But these updates are critical to the functionality of any application, including Chrome.
Checking for an update in Chrome is super easy. First, look for the three dots icon in the top right of the browser. If there’s an update waiting to be installed, the icon will be one of three colors:
- Green: An update has been available for two days
- Orange: An update has been available for four days
- Red: An update has been available for more than a week
If any of these are showing, you’ll see an option to “Update Google Chrome” at the top of the three-dots menu. If this option isn’t present and the icon is colored, then you’re running the latest version of Chrome, and this isn’t your problem.
Reason 3: Flash is Always Enabled
Besides the fact that Apple has a tumultuous history with Adobe Flash, the plugin has always been known to be a drag despite its frequent necessity. Luckily, you can change a single setting to force Flash to ask your permission before it activates on any page, which will prevent Chrome from unnecessarily loading Flash elements and slowing down your whole browsing experience.
To do this, go to the Chrome Menu and choose Settings near the bottom. Note: This page may look different depending on whether or not you have signed into Chrome.
Once in settings, either choose “Privacy” or scroll to the bottom of the page and pick “Advanced” and then find “Privacy”.
Then choose Content Settings and find the label for Flash. Here you’ll be able to pick “Ask First” for running flash.
After this has been changed, you’ll see a small dialog box in the top left of Chrome anytime a page wants to run Flash, which you can accept or deny at will.
Reason 4: Overzealous Plugins/Extensions
Some people are avid proponents of extensions, gladly installing anything they think will help. Others can’t understand the hype. However, extensions and plugins have a profound impact on the day to day operation of your Chrome browser, so they’re a good place to check for issues when the application is acting up.
First, you’ll want to see which extensions are currently running by opening the Chrome menu, then choose More Tools > Extentions.
This will open a new tab listing all of your extensions. Disable all of them by unchecking the box on the right side that says “Enabled” (you don’t have to delete them).
Then, relaunch Chrome and see how things run. If you see an improvement, you know one of your extensions is to blame and can systematically enable and disable them to figure out which it is. If you don’t see a difference, then this probably isn’t your problem and you should try a different method listed here.
Reason 5: It’s not Chrome, It’s Your Internet
Has all else failed to fix your slow Chrome problem? Maybe it isn’t Chrome that’s slow in the first place — the culprit could be your internet connection. This is also fairly easy to check, and you have a couple different options to do so.
Google Chrome Store
The easiest one is to run Google’s speed test by simply googling “speed test”. The first result will be an option to run the test. Once you do, your results will show in a small box and will even help you determine if your internet is performing up to par.
If you’re a gamer or techie and also want to know your ping rate, you can use speedtest from Ookla, which will also provide quick and accurate results of your internet speed.
Google Chrome On Mac Issues
You can compare any results to this internet speed chart that will identify whether or not yours is performing as advertised. If it’s not, then it may be time to contact your provider (ISP) about your service quality.
Google Chrome On Mac Problems
Also, since your MacBook is probably connected via Wi-Fi, and it’s often possible that your Internet router needs help getting the Wi-Fi signal to part of your house or apartment where your laptop locates. In this case, all you need is a Wi-Fi repeater like this one from TP-Link to extend your WiFi network for ultimate performance and coverage.
Should I Google Chrome On My Mac Os
Final Words
A slow browser is the bane of modern existence. You can’t check your email, research pages for work and school don’t load, and even when you just want to have a bit of fun with an internet game or Buzzfeed article you’re cut off.
How Do I Uninstall Google Chrome On My Macbook
Hopefully, this guide has given you a starting place for fixing the problem, but we’d love to hear your solutions as well! Leave us a comment below if you’ve ever fixed a slow Chrome problem or tell us what you tried that didn’t work.
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