When compared to legacy operating systems such as Windows 10 and macOS, Chrome OS has numerous advantages. Today’s best Chromebooks are insanely popular, thanks in large part to their low prices. However, lower prices necessitate hardware sacrifices, and most low-cost machines now have 4GB of RAM.
That used to be fine, but as with everything else, Chrome OS has grown a little and now consumes more resources than ever. After all, the way Chrome consumes system resources on Windows and Mac is well documented.
4GB of RAM is no longer sufficient, and until Google resolves the issue or Chromebook manufacturers begin using 8GB of RAM as a minimum, the burden falls on you, the user. Either they have a worse experience or take action. We’ll show you how to do something about it.
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How to use less RAM on your Chromebook
There are two things you can do that will improve your overall Chromebook experience and will take little time to complete. These include reducing your reliance on Chrome extensions and completely turning off Android.
If you want to see what is going on with your Chromebook and how much RAM it is using, you can download the ‘Cog’ Chrome app from the Chrome Web Store. It’s a handy little tool that displays system information as well as real-time CPU and RAM usage.
You can also access the Chrome OS task manager by simultaneously pressing the ‘Search’ and ‘Esc’ keys. This is similar to the Windows 10 task manager in that it will show you what is currently active and how much of your resources it is consuming.
1. Remove unwanted extensions from Chrome.
It’s easy to install Chrome extensions and then forget about them, but the truth is that they all harm your system if you don’t use them. They all consume a small amount of RAM simply by existing on your Chromebook, so if you aren’t actively using one, get rid of it.
- Open the browser and navigate to ‘Settings’, then ‘Extensions.’
- Then, one by one, go through the list, decide if you really need it, and then click ‘Remove from Chrome’ if you can live without it.
- Although most ad-blockers use around 150MB of RAM on their own, no single extension will make a significant difference. If you’re an extension hoarder, getting rid of things you don’t need will free up valuable resources for something you do.
- Also, keep an eye on how many tabs you have open at any given time. They all consume RAM, so if you don’t need 64 open tabs at once, close them.
2. Disable Android and the Google Play Store.
Here’s the true RAM hog on your Chromebook. Chrome OS includes Android and the Google Play Store, allowing you to install your favorite Android apps. However, it consumes the majority of your available RAM. So, ask yourself if you really, truly require it, because if you don’t, your life will be better off without it.
- To disable the Google Play Store and Android in general on your Chromebook,
- open the ‘Settings’ app first.
- Simply typing ‘Google Play Store’ into the search bar is the quickest way to get where you need to go.
- Click ‘Remove’ when you’re in the Google Play Store settings.
- You’ll be asked to confirm, and then you’ll be prompted to click ‘Remove Android apps’ to finish.
- That’s the only thing there is to it. If you now open ‘Cog’ or the Task Manager as described above, you will notice a significant reduction in your RAM usage.
Chrome OS has existed without Android support for many years, and with the quality of today’s web apps combined with the ability to install Linux applications on a Chromebook, you may be better served than simply downloading an app from the Google Play Store.
Summary
Chromebooks may be (mostly) inexpensive laptops, but that doesn’t mean anyone who buys one should have a subpar experience. The truth is that Chrome OS has become quite bloated in recent years, thanks in large part to the inclusion of Android.
Nobody wants to see a laptop use up all of its available RAM just sitting there with nothing open, but that’s exactly what you’ll see if you have a 4GB Chromebook. However, if you follow these guidelines, you should be able to reclaim as much as possible.
I hope you enjoy after reading the above article. If you have any query related to Chromebook, feel free to contact HP Chromebook customer support number.