How to Speed Up Chrome Downloads to Fix Lags

Chrome is one of the fastest browsers in the world, yet occasional lags can still cause slower downloading speeds. Altering various Chrome settings can speed up the downloads considerably. This tutorial shows all the solutions to speed up Chrome downloads and fix lags.

Preliminary Fixes

Let’s start with a few quick fixes to see whether they can speed up Chrome downloads on your PC.

• Update your Chrome version – outdated Chrome versions are prone to errors and glitches, leading to lags and slower downloads. Update your Chrome to ensure you have the latest version with bug fixes, which will also speed up Chrome downloads.
• Close unused Chrome tabs – having many tabs opened in Chrome means fewer system resources for tasks, like downloading files. Close unused tabs to let Chrome allocate more resources to downloads.
• Close other running apps – just like Chrome tabs, multiple apps running in the background also use most of the system resources, leaving less power for Chrome downloads. Close all unnecessary apps on your PC to free up system resources, ensuring more computing power for faster downloads.
• Disconnect other devices using the same Internet connection – when multiple devices are connected to the same network, the available bandwidth is shared among them. Try disconnecting other devices using the same Internet connection, or limit bandwidth to certain apps to minimize competition for bandwidth and achieve faster downloads on Chrome.
• Disable VPN – VPNs encrypt your Internet traffic for security, which adds overhead and can result in a slower download speed. Try downloading files after disabling the VPN on your device, or look for a better and more secure VPN.

If Chrome still lags when downloading after trying these preliminary recommendations, try one of the more extensive solutions below.

1. Clear Browsing Data

When Chrome has too much cache data, it can become corrupted and hinder the downloading and browsing experience. Clearing this data eliminates the clutter, reducing the strain on your system resources and improving download speeds.

To clear Chrome’s browsing data, open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner of the screen.

Select Settings from the drop-down menu, then select Privacy and Security from the left sidebar, and click Clear browsing data.

Go to the Basic section, and set the Time range to All time. Then, check the boxes next to Cookies and site data, Cached images and files, and Browsing history.

Select Clear Data. This will remove all the clutter from Chrome and enhance browsing and downloading speed.

While cookies enable personalized Web experiences by storing user preferences, it is wise to consider whether you want them active for a particular website. Ensure that you know what cookies are and how they affect your privacy to avoid unwanted cookies.

2. Temporarily Disable All Extensions

Extensions are great tools to enhance and customize your browsing experience. But if left inactive, they can cause slower Chrome downloads by utilizing network bandwidth for their background tasks. By temporarily disabling these inactive extensions, you can ensure that Chrome operates efficiently for faster downloads.

To temporarily disable extensions on Chrome, click the three dots in the top-right corner of your Chrome window, then select Extensions -> Manage Extensions.

A new tab will open, showing all your added extensions. Click the toggle to disable all the extensions you no longer use.

Moreover, consider reducing visual Chrome distractions by hiding extra extension icons for an even better experience.

3. Install a Download Manager

Download managers can split files into multiple segments, which helps reduce server load and ensures that downloads utilize total bandwidth. Moreover, download managers can resume interrupted downloads, saving you much time.

While Chrome’s default download feature works fine, a download manager can enhance your experience. Online Download Manager is one such popular manager, designed especially for Chrome users.

It is an upgrade to Chrome’s built-in download manager, with features like a sorting system, live search, and filters for downloads. It also allows you to monitor downloads more effectively without interrupting your workflow.

4. Switch DNS Servers

Typically, Chrome relies on your Internet service provider’s DNS server, but if it’s slow or problematic, the server can hinder download speed. You can bypass these issues by choosing a more reliable DNS provider.

Open Chrome Settings, and navigate to Privacy and security -> Security -> Use secure DNS. Select With, and click the drop-down arrow next to Custom. Select any DNS service provider from the drop-down menu.

5. Flush DNS Cache

While switching to another DNS provider is an effective solution for Chrome downloading lags, you should also watch for other possible DNS errors, like corrupt DNS cache.

A corrupt DNS cache can lead to a slower download speed on Chrome. When the DNS cache is corrupted, Chrome struggles to match website addresses to their respective IP addresses. In such situations, flushing out the corrupted DNS cache is the best solution to speed up Chrome downloads.

6. Disable Hardware Acceleration in Chrome

Hardware acceleration offloads graphic tasks to the GPU, reducing CPU load and enhancing browser performance. Hardware acceleration matters a lot, as this shift in responsibilities lightens the workload on the CPU, making the browser run smoother.

However, in some cases, enabling hardware acceleration can also be the reason Chrome lags when downloading. In such situations, a simple solution to speed up Chrome downloads is to disable hardware acceleration.

Go to Settings -> System, and disable Use hardware acceleration when available.

This will resolve the issue of slower Chrome downloads. But if it doesn’t, remember to re-enable the hardware acceleration before moving on to the next step.

7. Modify Battery Restrictions in Chrome

Chrome has battery restriction features, such as Energy Saver, designed to save laptop power. But these restrictions can also limit Chrome’s performance, like slowing down downloads. Modifying the Energy Saver settings allows Chrome to access more system resources, leading to faster and smoother downloads.

To modify battery restrictions on Chrome, open Settings -> Performance. Under Power, turn off Energy Saver.

8. Turn On Parallel Downloading

Chrome’s parallel downloading feature splits large files into smaller pieces, allowing multiple segments to be downloaded simultaneously. This division of a big file reduces the strain on servers, resulting in faster and more efficient downloads.

If you are facing Chrome download lags, try enabling parallel downloading to see if that resolves the issue by following the steps below:

Open Chrome, type chrome://flags/#enable-parallel-downloading in the address bar, and press Enter.

Find Parallel downloading, and click the drop-down arrow next to it. Select Enable from the drop-down menu to turn on parallel downloading in Chrome.

Any file you download will be split into smaller pieces. You don’t need to manually merge the split pieces after the downloading is finished. Chrome automatically combines these smaller segments into one large file once they have all been successfully downloaded.

Boost Your Chrome Downloads

You can boost your Chrome downloads through several methods, like removing the cache and modifying the Chrome settings. Users can also take their browsing experience one step further by using Chrome Flags to discover new features and improvements. Furthermore, you can use different Chrome keyboard shortcuts to make your Chrome experience smoother and faster.

All images and screenshots by Khizer Kaleem.