We've all been there: you click the Chrome icon, and then... You wait. That seemingly endless pause before your homepage finally loads can be frustrating. Tired of the delay? So was I, so I optimized Chrome for a faster startup.

6 Enable Webpage Preloading

One of the first things I did to make Google Chrome boot fast was to enable webpage preloading. This feature allows Chrome to anticipate which pages I might visit next, so it can start loading them in the background before I even click on a link.

This way, when I start the browser, it doesn't have to wait for me to click on links; they're already partially loaded. To enable webpage preloading, head to Settings > Performance > Speed and enable the Preload pages toggle.

Chrome offers a couple of options in this menu: Extended preloading and Standard preloading. I personally prefer Extended preloading because it allows Chrome to load most of the pages based on my browsing behavior.

5 Configure Startup Behavior for a Quick Launch

Like most people, I have a particular set of webpages I open every time I launch Chrome. However, opening each webpage by entering the address, clicking the homepage shortcuts, or even navigating through the bookmarks menu can be time-consuming.

Instead, I've configured Chrome to open these pages automatically on startup, and it's made a huge difference. Now, when I launch Chrome, it not only loads my main page but also loads the other pages I regularly visit in the background. So by the time I switch to a second tab, it's already ready.

1. Open Chrome, click the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner, and select Settings.
2. In the left-hand menu, select the On startup tab.
3. Choose the Open a specific page or set of pages option.
4. Click Add a new page to enter the URLs of the pages you want Chrome to open automatically upon startup.

Having each of my favorite pages open when I start working is a massive time saver.

4 Disable Energy Saver for Maximum Performance

Chrome's built-in Energy Saver mode is great if you're on the go and need to extend your laptop's battery life. It achieves this by limiting background activities and slowing down CPU-intensive tasks.

However, since I mostly work from home, conserving battery isn't a priority for me. Disabling this feature has noticeably improved my Chrome experience, both in terms of boot time and overall performance.

You can go to Settings > Performance > Power and turn off the Energy Saver toggle. If you prefer it to activate automatically when your battery reaches a lower level, you can leave the toggle on and choose Turn on only when your battery is at 20% or lower.

3 Enable GPU Rasterization

Rasterization is the process in which Chrome converts vector-based images or objects into pixels that can be displayed on the screen. By default, Chrome relies on the CPU to handle this task. However, with GPU rasterization enabled, Chrome offloads this process to the graphics card, which is better equipped for such tasks.

This results in a faster rendering experience, which is particularly noticeable when you launch Chrome. The GPU rasterization option isn't available in Chrome's regular settings menu, but you can easily enable it through Chrome's hidden flags menu.

1. Type chrome://flags/ in the URL bar and hit Enter.
2. In the search box that appears, type GPU rasterization.
3. From the drop-down menu next to the option, select Enabled.
4. Finally, click the Relaunch button for the changes to take effect.

Unfortunately, Chrome's Flags aren't permanent settings. Sometimes, Flags are removed without warning, while at other times, they're integrated into Chrome's actual settings. So, you'll have to keep an eye on this one.

2 Limit the Number of Extensions

Each time I start Chrome, all my extensions must load and initialize, which takes time and resources. So, while extensions are incredibly useful, having too many significantly slows down Google Chrome's performance.

To avoid this, I've reduced the number of extensions I use in Chrome. I've carefully selected only the ones that I truly need and use daily. This simple change has boosted Chrome's startup speed, as fewer extensions mean fewer processes running in the background when it boots up.

1 Turn Off Automatic Proxy Detection

I recently started using AdGuard DNS to block ads, trackers, and malicious domains. However, soon after setting it up, I noticed a significant delay before the first page loaded each time I launched Chrome.

After a bit of digging and some trial and error, I found the culprit through a Reddit thread. It turned out that Automatic Proxy Detection was the main cause of the delay, and disabling it fixed the problem for me instantly. You can do the same by heading to Settings > Network & Internet > Proxy and disabling the Automatically detect settings toggle.