Saving System Resources with Sleeping Tabs

Written by Eric Wyatt (last updated July 12, 2021)

1

Sleeping tabs in Microsoft Edge Chromium (Edge) browser is a simple feature that you never thought you'd need. When tabbed browsing first appeared in our web browsers, it was a fantastic feature that allowed us to declutter our virtual desktop from the barrage of countless windows filling up our screens. As helpful as tabbed browsing is, it is easy to get carried away. Rather than 20 separate windows, we now might have five browser windows with ten tabs each. Many users fail to realize that each window and each tab open on their computer takes up and increases memory usage. If you're on a laptop, having lots of windows or tabs decreases battery life, as it increases CPU load.

To combat this, Microsoft added a feature known as sleeping tabs. The way sleeping tabs work is that after you specify an amount of time inactivity, Edge will put a tab to "sleep." When a tab is asleep, it will be visibly less bright or dimmed. When Edge pauses the web page or site, it suspends page scripts or minimizes CPU allotment for those tabs that have gone to sleep.

To enable sleeping tabs, simply do the following:

  1. Launch Edge.
  2. Within the address bar, type edge://settings/system and press Enter. Edge displays the System section of the Settings page.
  3. Under the Optimize Performance section, make sure the "Save resources with sleeping tabs" toggle is turned on.
  4. Close the Settings section of Edge; your change should take effect immediately.

That is it. With the toggle turned on, tabs will go to sleep, freeing up system resources as you're surfing the web. If you want to turn sleeping tabs off, repeat the steps above and turn the toggle mentioned in step 3 to off.

 This tip (13882) applies to Windows 10.

Author Bio

Eric Wyatt

Eric Wyatt is a swell guy (or so his friends tell him). He is a formally trained designer and branding expert, bringing a wide range of skills to his Tips.Net articles. ...

MORE FROM ERIC

Folder Size Limits

Windows 10 allows for items to be organized into folders and subfolders. What size restrictions does Windows 10 place on ...

Discover More

Getting Cortana to Listen to You

Talking to your computer can save you time and help get you the information you need faster. With the proper setup you ...

Discover More

Change Your Pointer

Windows 10 uses a default mouse pointer size and color. With a quick setting change, you can customize the mouse size and ...

Discover More
More WindowsTips

Defining Words Quickly

When reading a webpage, e-book, or PDF, Microsoft Edge can quickly show you the meaning of a word that you might need to ...

Discover More

Opening Websites from the Taskbar

Launching websites typically require an open web browser. A hidden Windows 10 feature opens websites directly from the ...

Discover More

Google Chrome Setting URLs

Shortcut URLs allow quick access to the settings within Google Chrome. Use these shortcut URLs to quickly access the ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 1 + 3?

2021-07-12 13:10:08

C L Boyd

My work place's default browser on our computers is Google Chrome. Does that browser have the ability for sleeping tabs, and if so, how are they enabled or disabled in Google Chrome?

Newest Tips
Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.