Yes, You Should Stop Using Google Chrome
Time to stop using Chrome ? We’re certainly poised to take the resource-consuming browser to the pasture, especially given the recent news that Microsoft’s hopeful solution to Chrome memory-related issues has been thwarted by Google itself .
Other browsers overshadowed Chrome many years ago in speed, performance, privacy and / or security, and there is no need to stick with something so bloated and slow if you don’t need to – and you don’t, because there is a better version of Chrome out there, but it not developed by Google.
Chrome is a system failure
Chrome is consuming your device’s memory and wasting battery power. Google is testing experimental features to fix this problem , but they are not finished yet. Worse, Google recently turned off Microsoft’s RAM saving feature that allowed Windows 10 users to curb Chrome’s system swamp, citing performance issues.
There are several factors behind Chrome resource consumption, but these are mostly unique to Chrome; other Chromium-based browsers like Edge Chromium and Brave don’t share Chrome’s voracious appetite. It’s the same with non-Chromium options like Safari and Firefox .
Chrome’s built-in ad blocking is limited
Google’s business model is based on advertising, and many of the targeted ads you see on the Internet come from (or are data-driven) from Google. To ensure that users can still see and interact with these ads, Google limits the types of ads that content blocking extensions such as AdBlock can disable, making it impossible to use Chrome without ads. Yes, you can block some ads, but all.
However, browsers such as Brave (or its adware-free Bold alternative), Opera, and Vivaldi offer a Chrome -style browsing experience without ads. They also block site trackers and generally provide better privacy and security right away. Heck, Brave takes ad blocking so seriously that it pays you if you choose not to block ads, even if it’s punished for replacing affiliate links with your own tags , which is sketchy.
Chrome privacy controls aren’t as comprehensive
Chrome does a decent job of protecting your online activity and personal data from hackers and shady third parties, but not from Google itself.
In all fairness, Google’s privacy controls are better than ever. Users can control some of the data that Google collects , and saved data is now automatically deleted in Google Accounts by default . However, there are many methods that Google uses to collect and transmit your information.
Chrome monitors your data and directs it to Google’s servers as much as possible, especially if you are constantly logged into your Google account. Google tracking you is different from hackers or stalkers collecting information about your browser activity, but it still poses serious privacy risks, especially if a misconfigured server leaks a lot of personal information .
No longer the best Chromium browser
Chromium browsers are user-friendly, fast, and easy to use. Chrome has been the best browser in Chromium for years, and because of this, users have put up with its quirks and flaws – whether it’s how Google Search folds the deck in favor of certain pages or how it squeezes out browser add-ons that could undermine its business model. based on advertising.
It makes sense for Google to prioritize its own products. It’s not even that I think it’s wrong as such. Seamlessly integrate Chrome with other Google apps and services, handy. But not everyone wants to be strongly attached to the Google ecosystem simply because they enjoy Chromium-based web browsing.
Fortunately, there are now many reliable Chromium-based alternatives, each offering a nearly identical browser, similar to Chrome, without Google product integration.
Yes, and you can still use Gmail, Google Drive, YouTube, and other Google web apps in just about any other browser you want – although there are plenty of great alternatives to them .
Finding a new browser
Ready to ditch Chrome? We can help. Check out our guides on the best ad-blocking browsers (besides Chrome) and the best browsers for security and privacy .
I personally use Brave on PC and the new Firefox mobile browser on Android , but there are plenty of good options out there. Even pre-installed browsers like Microsoft Edge Chromium and Apple Safari are better – in fact, Safari may be the best Mac browser of the period .