Google is introducing a new performance panel in Chrome that allows users to monitor sleep tabs, tab performance, and memory usage. The new feature should come to Chrome in Windows 11 and macOS in the coming months.
According to Windows Latestthe panel is a step in the right direction for Google’s plan to improve browsing speed and security. However, you could argue that it replicates Microsoft Edge’s ‘browser essentials’ feature that manages the performance of Microsoft’s rival web browser.
In a message on the Chromium bug forum – a place for Chrome testers to report bugs to the project members or developers – a Google engineer notes that the final stages of designing the new panel are underway, and that the team is “working on finalizing it design for the content of the new presentation side panel and should prototype how the different performance cards will be displayed. To simplify prototyping, we check the scaffolding to see if there is a blank side panel.”
What does this mean for Chrome?
In short, it is very likely that the performance panel will make its way to Chrome very soon. We’re probably going to get Memory Saver features that prioritize active tabs and a battery saving mode that will prompt users to enable it once their device’s battery level drops to around 20%.
These are all features that come with Edge’s ‘browser essentials’, and for once we’re quite happy to see Google copying Microsoft. Chrome often lags behind when it comes to implementing performance upgrades, and Edge’s essential browser tools are one of the main reasons people I know prefer Edge over Chrome.
Hopefully we’ll see the panel make its way to Chrome soon and we can all finally take control of how the browser performs. After all, if you’re a Chrome user, this is probably the most used program on your device, so it’s about time. Could the days of Chrome being such a RAM hog finally be over?