How to speed up your browser

You use your Web browser for almost everything. From reading news to checking stocks, from watching videos to streaming podcasts, there’s probably no single app you use more than your browser.

So it can be frustrating when your browser slows down. Thankfully, there are things you can do. In this short article: five easy ways to boost your browser’s speed.

Close open tabs

If you’re using an older browser version, having too many tabs open may slow down performance (especially if the page in that tab has dynamic elements like video or audio). In these cases, one easy way to make your browser faster is to close tabs you’re not using, and limit how many you have open at any one time. Also, check to make sure your browser homepage isn’t set to a site that needs constant refreshing, or that’s trying to display lots of ads.

Note: Many modern browser versions are better able to handle backgrounded pages (those you’re not currently viewing), so closing tabs won’t necessarily improve performance.

Remove extensions

Browser extensions are software add-ons that change the way data is processed, stored, or appears on your browser. There are tons of helpful extensions, from productivity hacks to email encryption to password management, and more.

Problem is, extensions can pose a security risk, allowing third parties to infect your computer with malware, or expose your browsing history and personal data.

Beyond the security risks that extensions pose, there’s a simple drain of resources. Every extension is an extra piece of code—an extra program—for your browser to run. The more extensions you have installed, the harder your browser has to work, and the slower it will run. To speed up your browser, try removing unwanted or unused extensions.

Regularly update your browser

Most browsers will get regular updates from the tech companies that make them. While these updates can improve security (by closing newly discovered vulnerabilities), they can also make your browser faster. To improve your browser speed, check that you’re running the latest version of it. And be sure to enable auto-updates so future versions will download automatically.

Uninstall / reinstall your browser

Lastly, you can always try uninstalling and reinstalling your browser. This tends to clear things out all at once, and you may see a big improvement once you start from scratch with the latest version.

Note that if you uninstall / reinstall, you may lose cache, browsing history, and other data stored in your browser.

Improve your browser speed by upgrading to a faster browser

If closing tabs, removing extensions, updating your version, or even reinstalling don’t help, it’s possible you just need a new browser. Some are platform-specific (like Safari for Mac computers and iPhones); you might see an improvement in browsing speed simply by using the browser app that’s “meant” for your device.

But most browsers allow ads and trackers on the pages you visit, and this useless junk inherently slows down browsing speed. It also presents a security risk.

Brave, on the other hand, blocks ads and trackers by default, thanks to Brave Shields. With less stuff to load on every page, you see much faster browsing speeds—up to 3x faster than Chrome and other Big Tech browsers.

Brave is fighting back against a surveillance-based economy where Big Tech companies track, analyze, and resell your browsing data to advertisers.

If you really want to speed up your browser, it’s time to switch to Brave.