At times you have to wait for file to download when you need it urgently. That means you can’t access the file until Chrome finishes downloading it. At times, Chrome throws a download error and you have to restart the download. We have compiled some solutions to help increase download speeds in Google Chrome. Let’s begin.
1. Disable VPN Service
While VPN is an excellent way to protect yourself from the perils of the internet, it can slow down your internet and download speed in Chrome browser. Try disabling the VPN service to check if it improves the download speed. If yes, you may consider downloading the file without VPN protection. But that will expose your IP address. Note that disabling the VPN may result in the download being interrupted midway. You may have to restart the download.
2. Disconnect Other Devices from Wi-Fi
Most of us have multiple devices that are connected to the Wi-Fi network. And then, there are family members or coworkers who are also using the same Wi-Fi network resulting in a slow network speed. If you have too many users using your Wi-Fi network, then you can either ask them to wait till your download finishes or pause their connection temporarily. If you are alone, disconnect you other devices until the file finishes downloading successfully on your computer.
3. Use Google DNS
Using the default DNS server that your ISP set is not the optimum solution. One way to fix this problem is by using a third-party DNS address like Google or OpenDNS. That might help to boost Chrome’s download speed and improve the browsing experience. But before you consider changing the default DNS address on your computer, we recommend you to check whether Google or OpenDNS is working faster for you. Once you find out, changing the default DNS is not that hard.
4. Disable Proxy Settings
Disabling proxy settings on your computer can also help improve download speeds in Chrome browser. Step 1: Press Windows key+I to open Settings. Go to Network & Internet. Step 2: Select Proxy in the left sidebar and make sure that ‘Automatically detect settings’ is toggled on but ‘Use a proxy server’ is set to off.
5. Change LAN Settings
Step 1: Press Windows key+R to open the Run prompt and type the below shortcut before hitting the Enter button to run it. Step 2: In the pop-up that follows, click on LAN settings under the Connections tab. In the following pop-up, check ‘Automatically detect settings’ if not already. Save all changes made. Check again if download speed has improved in the Chrome browser.
6. Disable QoS Packet Scheduler
This method will not work for Windows Home users since it requires accessing the Group Policy Editor. That’s available in Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise versions only. Step 1: In the Windows Search (press Windows Key + S), type gpedit.msc to search for and open Group Policy Editor. Step 2: From the left-side navigation pane, drill down to the below folder structure. In the right window-pane, double-click on ‘Limit reservable bandwidth’ to open the file to edit bandwidth settings. Step 4: Click on Enabled button and reduce the reserved bandwidth percentage to a lower limit. We don’t suggest allocating zero because that will affect system functions like system and app updates requiring bandwidth and running in the background. Reducing it slightly to, say 50%, will positively impact while still allowing the system to function as it should.
7. Enable Parallel Downloading Chrome Flag
Chrome flags are little experimental features that may or may not see the light of day or included in the final Chrome build. However, there are all sorts of cool features to explore there. One of them allows you to download files in parallel, increasing the download speed in Chrome. Just type chrome://flags in the address bar and hit Enter. You can then search for ‘parallel downloading flag’ and enable it from the drop-down menu.
8. Install Turbo Download Manager Extension
One of the most annoying aspects of facing slow download speeds in Chrome is that sometimes, it fails and you have to restart. A download manager could help solve this and other related issues. Turbo Download Manager is a Chrome extension that will allow you to stop, pause, and resume file downloads. Other features include how you can extract audio from video, images from websites, and increase download speed by fetching multiple segments of the file downloading. Download Turbo Download Manager
9. Enable Page Prefetch
Step 1: In Google Chrome, type the below address in the address bar and press Enter to open Chrome cookies settings. Step 2: Scroll down to find ‘Preload pages for faster browsing and searching’ option and toggle it on.
10. Remove Useless Extensions
If you’re a fan of extensions, you end up installing many but hardly use some. They are also responsible for slowing Chrome performance. Uninstall extensions that you no longer use or can get by without. It will help improve Chrome’s download speed and overall performance.
11. Clear Cache and Data
Clearing browser cache in Chrome can help fix a lot of common problems. Cache is just temporary files that websites store in your browser to improve your browsing experience, among other things. These files may accumulate over time, hindering the download speed of Chrome and browser performance. It is a good idea to clear cache and website data once a fortnight or month.
Slow and Steady Wins the Race
Google Chrome is not the only browser out there. There are others and most of them use Chromium upon which Chrome was built. This means all your favorite extensions will work on them too. We have covered and compared some of them before, like Microsoft Edge and Brave. Maybe, it’s time to move on and try something new? Next up: Managing Google Chrome extensions individually can be tedious and challenging. Try these fantastic extension managers instead to make your life a whole lot easier.
