Why Is My Chromebook So Slow Compared to Before? 9 Easy Solutions

ChromeOS was designed to run flawlessly on low-spec devices. It’s therefore not surprising to see a Chromebook slow, like a Windows computer. It’s not a reason to panic, since a slow Chromebook can be fixed. I’ll cover the reasons Why is my Chromebook so slow and solutions to fix it.

Why Is My Chromebook So Slow?

If you’ve been wondering Why Is My Chromebook So Slow, even normal tasks like taking a screenshot in ChromeOS become tedious. Here are the main reasons behind the issue:

1. Outdated Operating System (ChromeOS)

As you’ve probably guessed, ChromeOS auto-updates itself until you shut off the feature. If you turn off the feature to save data on your system, you’ll miss crucial updates that keep your system running smoothly. As time goes on, the software you have installed is unable to run certain websites or applications online, which may be the reason Why Is My Chromebook So Slow.

Steps:

• Open Settings
• Click About ChromeOS
• Select Check for updates
• Install updates and restart your device

Keeping ChromeOS updated ensures bug fixes and performance improvements are applied.

Also read: Why Is My MacBook So Slow? 10 Tips to Speed Up MacBook

2. System Updates Running in the Background

Sometimes the reason Why Is My Chromebook So Slow when installing and downloading updates in the background. This is because most updates can be heavy and eat up the system’s resources. Additionally, some updates can fix bugs that impact overall system performance, and keep your Chromebook running slowly until the bug is fixed.

How to Fix It:

• Let the update complete fully
• Restart your Chromebook after installation
• Avoid heavy multitasking while updates are installing

3. Too Many Extensions Installed

Using heavy extensions can cause your system to run out of resources and internet connectivity. In addition, multiple extensions running simultaneously could cause the system to run slowly because their demands could exceed the hardware capacity.

How to Fix It:

• Open Chrome
• Go to Extensions
• Remove extensions you don’t use
• Disable extensions temporarily to test performance

Keep only essential extensions installed.

4. Too Many Background Processes and Tabs

As previously mentioned, an update running in the background could cause the Chromebook slow down. In the same way, running too many applications or other background processes, especially multi-tabs, can affect your Chromebook’s performance if your hardware isn’t capable of handling the workload.

How to Fix It:

• Close unused tabs
• Restart your Chromebook regularly
• Use Chrome Task Manager (Shift + Esc) to see heavy processes
• Uninstall apps you rarely use

5. Low Storage Space

To understand why is my chromebook so slow, it’s important to check your available storage. Every system requires some free storage space to run smoothly. Most of the time, hard drive space is filled with unnecessary files, such as large temporary browsing files. To speed up Chromebook, try these steps.

How to Fix It:

• Delete unnecessary downloads
• Clear browsing data (cache and cookies)
• Uninstall unused apps
• Move large files to Google Drive or external storage
• Try to keep at least 20% of your storage free.

6. Android Apps Slowing Things Down

Most Android applications, including games, as well as those written in native programming, are better suited to ARM chips. The majority of Chromebooks run on x86 chipsets. Because ChromeOS has to translate optimized for ARM Android, particularly 32-bit versions, this conversion can significantly drain system resources, making every Chromebook slow. Other badly optimized Android applications could also impact the system’s performance.

How to Fix It:

• Uninstall Android games you don’t need
• Disable Play Store if you don’t use Android apps
• Avoid running multiple Android apps at once
• If you mainly use web apps, disabling Android support can improve speed.

7. Slow Internet Connection

ChromeOS requires an unreliable internet connectionfor maximum performance. Slow Internet connections mean that the responsiveness of web-based applications will decrease, and you’ll experience slow loading times.

How to Fix It:

• Restart your router
• Move closer to the Wi-Fi source
• Disconnect unused devices
• Run an internet speed test

Sometimes the Chromebook isn’t slow — your internet is.

Also read: Chromebook Black Screen: How to Fix It Quickly (Step-by-Step Guide)

8. Old or Weak Hardware issues

When you search on Google for Why Is My Chromebook So Slow, one common explanation is that older, less powerful, and faulty hardware devices generally struggle to perform intensive tasks, particularly when you have to open multiple tabs at once. This could affect the user experience as it makes older Chromebooks run slowly and unresponsively.

How to Fix It:

• Keep only essential apps installed
• Limit open tabs
• Perform a Powerwash (factory reset)
• Consider upgrading to a newer model

9. Malware or Malicious software

Certain malware-related websites, apps, files, and extensions drain your Chromebook as part of their operations. Certain of these elements comprise spyware, adware, and ransomware, which work to steal data or cause chaos. You might have accidentally installed them when trying to download specific applications or files from Google’s Play Store and the Chrome Web Store.

How to Fix It:

• Remove suspicious software
• Uninstall unknown apps
• Reset Chrome settings
• Perform a Powerwash if needed

Wrapping Up: Why Is My Chromebook So Slow

The Chromebook freezing or lagging issue should not be a problem. Make sure you have sufficient free space, be aware of the extensions and programs you install, and ensure that the Chromebook operating system is current so that you don’t have to ask “Why is my Chromebook so slow?” in the future. It is also important to refrain from using more than one tab and using too many background apps, in case your device cannot handle too much load.

FAQs: Why Is My Chromebook So Slow