What hardware acceleration does and why you might want it
Hardware acceleration tells Chrome to use your computer's graphics processor instead of its main processor for certain tasks. Your graphics processor is built specifically to handle images and video smoothly, so offloading that work there can make Chrome faster and use less battery power.
You'll notice the difference most when you're watching video, scrolling through image-heavy pages, or using web apps that display lots of graphics. Without hardware acceleration, your main processor does all that work, which can make your computer feel sluggish and drain your battery faster. With it on, those tasks move to a chip designed for them.
Hardware acceleration is on by default in Chrome on most computers, but it sometimes gets turned off automatically if Chrome detects a problem with your graphics drivers. If you've noticed Chrome feeling slow or choppy, or if you've updated your graphics drivers recently, turning it back on might help.
Key Takeaways
- Hardware acceleration is usually already on in Chrome, but you can check and turn it on manually in Settings under System.
- Turning it on makes video playback and scrolling smoother by using your graphics processor instead of your main processor.
- If Chrome has turned it off automatically, it's usually because of outdated or problematic graphics drivers on your computer.
- After you turn it on, you need to close and reopen Chrome completely for the change to take effect.
How to turn hardware acceleration on in Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three-line menu icon in the top right corner. Select Settings from the dropdown menu. On the left side, click System.
You'll see a toggle switch next to "Use hardware acceleration." If it's already on, the switch will be blue and pointing right. If it's off, the switch will be gray and pointing left. Click the switch to turn it on. Chrome will show a message asking you to relaunch the browser — click Relaunch to close and reopen Chrome with the new setting active.
That's all there is to it. The change takes effect when ready after you relaunch. If you don't see the toggle switch at all, your computer's graphics setup doesn't support hardware acceleration, and there's nothing to turn on.
When Chrome turns hardware acceleration off by itself
Chrome automatically disables hardware acceleration if it detects a problem with your graphics drivers — the software that controls your graphics processor. This usually happens after a Windows or Mac update, or if your graphics drivers are outdated. When this happens, Chrome is protecting you from crashes or display glitches, but it also means video and scrolling will be slower.
The fix is to update your graphics drivers. On Windows, right-click the Start menu and select Device Manager. Find Display adapters, right-click your graphics card (it might say NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel), and select Update driver. Choose Search automatically for updated driver software and let Windows find and install the latest version.
On Mac, graphics drivers update automatically through System Updates. Go to System Settings, click General, then Software Update, and install any available updates. After your drivers are updated, go back to Chrome Settings and turn hardware acceleration back on.
Troubleshooting if hardware acceleration isn't working
If you turn hardware acceleration on but Chrome still feels slow, or if you see visual glitches like flickering or distorted colors, the problem is usually outdated or incompatible graphics drivers. Update them using the steps above, then restart your computer and relaunch Chrome.
If updating drivers doesn't help, try turning hardware acceleration off again. Some older graphics cards or unusual setups work better without it. You can also try clearing Chrome's cache, which sometimes fixes display problems. Go to Settings, click Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data, make sure Cached images and files is checked, and click Clear data.
If the problem only happens on one website, that website might have a bug. Try the same page in a different browser like Firefox or Edge to see if the problem follows you. If it doesn't, the issue is specific to Chrome and that site, and there's usually nothing you can do except wait for the website to fix it.
What hardware acceleration actually speeds up
Hardware acceleration makes the biggest difference with video playback, scrolling through image galleries, and web-based games or design tools. If you mostly read text articles and check email, you probably won't notice any change at all.
The reason is that your graphics processor excels at one thing: moving pixels around the screen very quickly. Video is just a stream of images, so the graphics processor handles it effortlessly. Scrolling is also mostly graphics work — moving everything on the page up or down. But loading a text article or rendering a spreadsheet doesn't use the graphics processor much, so turning acceleration on won't make those tasks faster.
Hardware acceleration on Chromebooks and mobile devices
Chromebooks have hardware acceleration turned on by default and you can't turn it off. The same is true for Chrome on Android phones and tablets. These devices are designed around the assumption that hardware acceleration will always be on, so there's no setting to change.
If Chrome feels slow on a Chromebook or mobile device, the problem is usually not hardware acceleration. It's more likely that you have too many tabs open, your device is running out of storage space, or you need to restart the device. Close some tabs, delete files you don't need, or restart and see if that helps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning on hardware acceleration make my laptop battery drain faster?
No — it's the opposite. Hardware acceleration usually makes your battery last longer because your graphics processor is more efficient at graphics tasks than your main processor. If you notice your battery draining faster after turning it on, the problem is probably outdated graphics drivers, not the feature itself.
Is hardware acceleration safe to turn on?
Yes. It's on by default in Chrome, and Chrome only turns it off if it detects a real problem with your graphics drivers. If you've updated your drivers and Chrome isn't showing any warnings, it's safe to turn on.
Why does Chrome keep turning hardware acceleration off?
Chrome automatically disables it when it detects a problem with your graphics drivers. Update your drivers using Device Manager on Windows or Software Update on Mac, restart your computer, and turn it back on. If it keeps turning off, your graphics card might not be compatible with hardware acceleration in the current version of Chrome.
Do I need to restart my computer after turning on hardware acceleration?
No, you only need to relaunch Chrome. Click the Relaunch button that appears in Settings, and the new setting takes effect when ready. You don't need to restart your whole computer.
What if I turn on hardware acceleration and websites look broken?
Turn it back off and update your graphics drivers. Broken visuals usually mean your graphics drivers are outdated or incompatible. After updating, restart your computer and try turning it back on. If the problem continues, your graphics card might not work well with hardware acceleration, and you should leave it off.