Article updated on August 22, 2024 by Byothe
Chrome automatically refreshes open tabs when you switch between them? There are several causes for this problem: insufficient system resources, tabs that pause, or even interference caused by certain installed extensions. Don't worry, there are solutions that you can try to overcome this automatic tab refresh problem on Chrome!
Preliminary checks
To try to find a solution to your problem, please start by performing these simple manipulations:
- Restart your browser and computer to clear any temporary bugs.
- If the problem persists, check the stability of your internet connection to ensure that it does not connect or disconnect intermittently.
- Additionally, clear the cache and browser cookies to prevent them from interfering with its operation.
If these basic troubleshooting steps don't diagnose or fix the problem, get down to business!
Check the extent of the auto-refresh tabs issue on Chrome
Once these initial checks are done, analyze the extent of the problem in more detail. Check if the problem concerns a specific tab or if it affects all open tabs.
Also, make sure you're not on a website that automatically refreshes after a period of inactivity, such as a banking site. If the issue is limited to a particular tab, close and reopen it to rule out any temporary glitches causing the auto-refresh.
You can also try opening the website on a different browser to confirm if the issue is specific to Chrome. If the website also reloads on the other browser, this indicates a potential technical issue with the site. In this case, report the issue to the site administrator or support team.
The problem is more general if it concerns all open tabs, including newly opened ones. In this case, you can move on to the next solution.
Check that the refresh key on your keyboard is not stuck
If Chrome keeps refreshing a tab as soon as you open it or switch to it, make sure the refresh key, typically F5 and Ctrl+R on Windows or Command+R on macOS, isn't stuck. To eliminate this possibility, press the refresh key (or shortcut) and make sure there's no debris obstructing its operation.
If the key is not stuck, check that it is not defective, which could trigger an automatic refresh of the web page. To do this, you can go to this keyboard test site. If keys light up on the screen while you are doing nothing, there is a problem with your keyboard!
Disable tab sleep
If Chrome's tabs only auto-refresh when switching to them after a long period of inactivity, you need to prevent them from going to sleep.
The simple solution is to disable the feature Memory Saver Chrome, which puts inactive tabs to sleep to save memory. To disable it:
- click on the three vertical dots in the upper right corner of the browser
- select “Settings”
- Navigate to the “Performance” tab on the left
- disable the Memory Saver option.
If you prefer to keep Memory Saver enabled, but want to exclude specific web pages, you can manually add them to a whitelist. Click the Add button next to Always leave these sites active, select the desired website from those already open, or manually enter its URL, and click “Add”.
Alternatively, you can disable auto-dismiss directly from Chrome's Discards page. This little-known Chrome settings page gives a lot of information about the tabs open on your screen. Type "chrome://discards/" into Chrome's address bar and locate the column Auto Discardable. If a check mark (✓) is on the line of the website you don't want Chrome to refresh, click "Toggle" to turn off auto-refresh.
Check for possible interference with your Chrome extensions
If you have installed extensions that allow you to automatically refresh tabs, this may be the problem! So, temporarily disable these extensions:
- Click on the three vertical dots in the upper right corner
- then navigate to Extensions > Manage Extensions
- Disable the button below the problematic extension.
If you don't have this type of extension installed, check for other installed extensions that could potentially cause the problem. Disable each extension one by one, and if the problem resolves after disabling a specific extension, it's likely that this extension is the cause. Consider removing this extension from your browser permanently.
Free up system resources
A lack of system resources can also cause Chrome to behave abnormally. To rule out this possibility, determine which processes are resource-hungry and avoid running them simultaneously. To check these processes, click the three vertical dots in the upper-right corner, then navigate to More Tools > Task Manager.
Click (or double-click) on the column Memory space used to sort tasks by memory usage in descending order. Identify the tabs consuming the most resources and disable them if necessary. To kill a process in Chrome's Task Manager, select it and click the Stop the process in the lower right corner.
Warning: Be careful when disabling processes and do not stop essential browser processes so as not to affect your active browsing session.
Check for Chrome updates
Neglecting to update your browser for a long time can cause unexpected issues like Chrome auto-refreshing tabs. To make sure Chrome is up to date, click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner, then navigate to Help > About Google Chrome.
Chrome will then automatically update itself if it is not already on the latest version. After the update is complete, click "Relaunch" to apply the changes.
If you see the message “Chrome is up to date” on the About Chrome page, everything is in order.
Reset Chrome Settings
If none of the previous solutions worked, you can try resetting the Chrome settings. Resetting your browser restores your browser settings to their default configuration, undoing any customizations you've made, but often helps resolve persistent issues. However, consider this option a last resort when other fixes fail.
To reset Chrome:
- navigate to Settings (via the 3 vertical dots at the top right)
- then select the tab Reset settings on the left side
- click on Restore Default Settings et Reset settings in the pop-up window
Please note, this operation is irreversible!
The above fixes should have helped you resolve the Chrome tabs not refreshing automatically issue, allowing you to browse the web smoothly. If none of the solutions work, your last resort should be to uninstall and reinstall Chrome from scratch. If that doesn’t work either, you’ll just have to switch to a competing browser.
