Don’t get me wrong — I love Chrome for iOS. But Apple’s draconian requirement for all third parties to comply with the WebKit standard means it’s always one step behind Safari in terms of performance. That often results in below-average battery life on an iPhone or iPad because Google doesn’t optimize Chrome for iOS to save power.
Aside from that, I’ve also noticed that Chrome can often drain the battery faster than usual. There are many reasons why that happens, some related to problems in general and some related to the browser itself. So check them out. Hopefully you’ll get better results as Chrome eases the pressure on battery life.
Note: Consider using the iOS Battery monitor after going through each of the solutions below to determine if there are any improvements to battery life. Tap ‘Battery’ in the Settings app to access it.
Force quit the app
Forcing an app to quit may sound like a silly thing to do, but it’s a starting point for fixing almost any problem. If you haven’t fully exited Chrome for a long time, all it takes is a pervasive software glitch to grow in the background and drain the battery.
To force quit Chrome, swipe up from the bottom of your iPhone or iPad’s screen. Press and hold your finger for a moment in the center of the screen to bring up the app switcher. Next, select and swipe the Chrome app card upwards to force get rid of memory.
Turn on Chrome and start general web browsing for a while to see if it still drains the battery like before. If that’s the case, let’s dive into other possible solutions.
Restart iPhone/iPad
If force quitting Chrome doesn’t stop the browser from draining battery faster than usual, it’s time to restart your iPhone or iPad. This will clear excess app data from memory and provide a clear means for Chrome to start working.
To do that, hold down the Power button for a moment and then swipe over when prompted. On iOS devices without a Home button (iPhone X and later), press and hold both the Power button and either of the Volume buttons to bring up the Slide to Power Off prompt.
After your iPhone or iPad turns off, simply hold down the Power button to turn it back on. Start using Chrome for a while and check if there is any difference in battery life.
Turn off location services
Location Services on iPhone and iPad consume a lot of battery no matter which app you use. And in this case, Chrome’s default search engine, Google, always uses it to generate location-based results. Furthermore, you may also have ‘allowed’ many other websites to use your geolocation functionality.
To disable Location Services for Chrome, follow these steps.
Step 1: Open the iOS Settings app and tap Privacy. On the next screen, tap Location Services, then tap Chrome.
Step 2: Select Never, then return to save your changes.
After that, Chrome can no longer use Location Services. And, you are bound to notice a significant difference in battery consumption from here on out. Cons – less relevant search results and overall poor experience on sites that rely on this functionality. It’s a worthy trade-off, though, especially since Location Services also pose problems for your privacy.
Clear access data
Another reason why Chrome can use up battery quickly is because the browser cache is out of date. Often times, cookies and redundant site data can cause the browser to enter an endless loop while loading a web page. Furthermore, tracking cookies can also track you across websites. That puts extra stress on your device. You can check if that is the case by clearing your browsing data.
Step 1: Open the Chrome menu (tap the three-dot icon), tap Settings, then Privacy. On the Privacy screen, tap Clear browsing data.
Step 2: Check the options labeled Browsing Data, Cookies, Site Data and Cached Files and Images. Finally, tap Clear browsing data to clear the browser cache.
Warning:
Clearing your browser’s cache is difficult because you have to log back into most websites. Unless you use a password manager. But if you’re seeing an unusual drop in battery life, that’s something you need to consider.
Block ads and trackers
Clearing your browser’s cache will momentarily stop websites from tracking you. But then another tracker appeared on your device and the problem started again. Combine that with the sheer amount of advertising that the majority of websites put out, and the strain on your iPhone or iPad can be significant.
Since Chrome for iOS doesn’t support content blocking, you need to use some alternatives. One method involves adding AdGuard’s DNS servers to your Wi-Fi connection. Go to the Settings app, tap Wi-Fi, tap the i-shaped icon next to your Wi-Fi hotspot, then tap Configure DNS to start adding AdGuard DNS as shown in the screenshot. figure below.
Obviously, this only blocks ads when surfing on Wi-Fi. Alternatively, you can choose to use a free app called DNSCloak to help you block ads when using mobile data. However, that may not be a viable option in your case as the app is not available in most certain regions.
I wrote an extensive tutorial on both workarounds. Read it to find out the different nuances that you need to be aware of when using them.
Use Wi-Fi Assist/Mobile Data Off
Do you use mobile data to browse the web a lot in Chrome? If the cellular connection is weak, the cellular radio on your iPhone and iPad will work overtime to stay connected. And that leads to a significant reduction in battery life. Switch to Wi-Fi to browse the web, or better yet, use Wi-Fi when automatic cellular connectivity becomes difficult.
On the Settings app, tap Cellular Data (or Cellular Data in certain regions). Scroll all the way down, then turn on the switch next to Wi-Fi Assist. That will prompt iOS to switch to known Wi-Fi hotspots in the event of poor cellular reception.
Update/Reinstall Apps
If you’re still seeing an unusual drop in battery life while surfing the web in Chrome, you need to consider updating the app. The latest updates regularly fix bugs and hopefully address any inefficiencies in the browser. Go to the App Store, scan for updates, then tap UPDATE next to Chrome if available.
If that doesn’t work, consider reinstalling Chrome. Make sure to sync important browsing data (passwords and autofill data) before you do that.
Tip:
To remove Chrome, hold down the Chrome icon on the Home screen, then tap the small x-shaped sub-icon when it starts to jiggle. Next, fire up the App Store, then search for and reinstall Chrome.
Completely removing and reinstalling will likely fix any persistent or potential Chrome-related issues. And hopefully, that helped the browser stop consuming excessive battery.
Surf without worry
Hopefully you don’t experience a sudden drop in battery life after following the recommendations. Turning off location services and clearing browser cache has worked for me. But other fixes may also help in your case.
Let’s not discount the fact that it could be something completely unrelated causing the problem. If none of the suggested solutions work, you can also check out general battery saving tips for iPhone and iPad.
Next up: Distracted by stupid and distracting article suggestions on new Chrome tabs? Click the link below to learn how to get rid of them ASAP.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
