What is Google Chrome Helper, How to disable it?.
Google Chrome has been the browser of choice for most Windows PC users for at least a decade. But it has its own problems. In particular, memory usage in Chrome is often the biggest drawback. Too many tabs consume your computer’s available system resources.
If you look at the Windows Task Manager or Mac Activity Monitor while Chrome is running. You can see that the Google Chrome Helper process is using your system resources. But what is Google Chrome Helper and can it be disabled?
To help you, here’s everything you need to know about the Google Chrome Helper process.
What is Google Chrome Helper?
At its core, Google Chrome is a pretty standard web browser. It lets you visit pages, saves bookmarks. Changes the default home page, and more – all the features you’d expect to see in a browser.
If you need more features, you need to install third-party Chrome extensions. These are additional features created by third-party developers that extend the functionality of the Chrome browser. There are many great Chrome extensions to try. But there are also many less useful (and potentially risky) extensions out there.
There are also extensions to the functionality of Chrome, called plugins, that certain websites will use to extend functionality. For example, a website might have a third-party plugin installed to enable video playback or to access certain hardware components.
This is where the Google Chrome Helper component of the Chrome browser comes in handy. The Google Chrome Helper process (and the Google Chrome Helper (Renderer) process) is the generic name for third-party content that loads into your browser, whether it’s a third-party extension or embedded content like a video player.
In particular
These are plugins, which usually require additional access to the system in addition to standard plugins and extensions. For example, a site that installs new software through the Chrome browser will need a plugin without a test environment that has permission to access resources outside of Chrome itself.
Most users won’t even notice that it exists. However, if your PC or Mac is running slowly with Chrome. Google Chrome Helper can help you track down the problem. The wrong extension or resource-intensive pages using third-party plugins can, under certain circumstances, cause Chrome Helper to use the maximum CPU or RAM.
This is one of the reasons Adobe Flash in Chrome proved to be problematic, which led to Google blocking it by default. Before Google turned off Flash support, websites using Flash would need access to the corresponding Flash plugin, which could cause Chrome to slow down or crash altogether.
What Causes High Google Chrome Helper CPU and RAM Usage
The main reason for high CPU or RAM usage connected to Google Chrome Assistant is not the browser itself, but the plug-in or extension that uses it. While Chrome still has a reputation for poorly managing system resources, you can help limit Chrome’s impact by disabling the Chrome Helper process entirely.
However, if you use Windows Task Manager or Mac Activity Manager first, you won’t find many answers. The general process of Google Chrome Helper or Google Chrome Helper (Renderer) is the only indication that a third party plugin or extension is causing the problem.
To try and diagnose this, track your actions and track resource usage while using Chrome. Start on a new Chrome browser page and try to load pages that are making your computer run slowly. If this doesn’t affect your computer, try using some of the extensions you include to see if they are causing a spike in resource usage.
You can also use Google Chrome’s built-in Task Manager to keep track of each individual Chrome internal process. This will allow you to identify a specific component in Chrome, such as a rogue plugin, that is causing the problem.
- To open the Chrome Task Manager, right-click the tab bar and select the Task Manager option. …
The Memory and CPU columns help you identify which plugins or extensions are causing the problem. If a process is using too much CPU or RAM, you can select it and then click the End Process button to end it immediately. This will crash Chrome, but Chrome will remain open for you.
How to Reduce Google Chrome Helper System Resource Usage
If you want to reduce high CPU or RAM usage with Google Chrome, there are a few steps you can take before disabling Google Chrome Assistant and restricting all third-party plugins in your browser.
First, consider what extensions and plugins you are using in Chrome. If certain pages are causing slowdowns, try blocking any third-party plugins from loading.
- You can do this for specific pages by selecting the padlock icon next to the URL address bar and then selecting Site Settings option.
- In the site permissions menu, you can block third-party plugins by setting the value Block to access plugins without a test environment.
If Chrome extensions are causing difficulties, you may decide to disable them.
- To disable Chrome extensions, click the three-dot menu icon in the upper-right corner, then select More Tools> Extensions.
- From the Chrome extensions menu, select the slider next to an extension to disable it by placing it in the off position.
You can also troubleshoot Chrome issues by using incognito mode. By default, Chrome blocks any third-party plugins and extensions in incognito mode.
What is Google Chrome Helper? How to disable?
- To switch to incognito mode, click the three-dot menu icon in the upper-right corner, then select the New Incognito Window option.
How to Disable Google Chrome Helper on Windows and Mac
If you are still unable to fix the slowdown in Chrome and you are sure that the Google Chrome Helper process is the cause, you can disable it completely.
Disabling Google Chrome Helper will stop all third-party plugins from working in Chrome. This may interfere with the correct operation of some site resources, such as video players. If you are likely to use such resources, be sure to test Google Chrome in incognito mode to ensure that your browser will continue to function correctly.
- First, open a Chrome browser window. and select the three-dot menu icon in the upper right corner. From there select the “Settings” option.
- On the left panel of options, in the Chrome settings menu, select Privacy & Security. On the right, select the Site Settings option.
- Scroll down then select Additional Permissions> Access plugins without a test environment.
- To disable Google Chrome Assistant, move the slider at the top of the menu to the off position. If this setting is disabled, the setting will change to Do not allow sites to use the plug-in to access your computer, rather than Ask when a site wants to use the plug-in to access your computer (recommended).
Once disabled, the pages you access will no longer be able to run third-party plugins. This should stop the Google Chrome Helper process from appearing in Windows Task Manager. Or Mac Activity Monitor with high CPU or RAM usage.
At any time, you can repeat the steps above and re-enable the Google Chrome Helper process by setting the “Do not allow any site to use the plugin to access your computer” slider back to the “on” position.
Switching from Google Chrome
Even the above methods may not always cope with unusual memory leaks and excessive CPU usage in Google Chrome. If you’ve turned off Google Chrome Assistant and Chrome is still slow. It might be time to consider switching to a different browser like Firefox on Windows or Safari on Mac.
After the transition, you can easily transfer bookmarks and other personal data from one browser to another. If you’re switching to Firefox, you can also install some of the best Firefox add-ons to replace RAM-hungry Chrome extensions.
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What is Google Chrome Helper, How to disable
What is Google Chrome Helper, How to disable