Chrome crashes usually appear in two ways: the whole browser closes, or one tab turns gray with an Aw, Snap message while the rest of Chrome keeps running. The fix depends on whether the problem follows one site, one tab, or all of Chrome.
Does this affect you?
Use this for Google Chrome on Windows or Mac when tabs crash, pages go unresponsive, or Chrome closes by itself shortly after opening.
Narrow down whether it is one tab, one site, or all of Chrome
This decides which fix is worth trying first.
- If only one tab shows Aw, Snap, click Reload.
- If the same site crashes again, the site may be unusually heavy or broken, especially if it uses video, ads, or complex scripts.
- Open a simple site such as example.com in a new tab. If it works, Chrome itself may be fine.
- If Chrome closes entirely, or many unrelated tabs crash, suspect an extension, low memory, a profile issue, or a graphics conflict.
Disable extensions and free up memory
Extensions and exhausted RAM are common causes of full-browser crashes.
- Type chrome://extensions in the address bar and press Enter.
- Turn off every extension.
- Restart Chrome.
- Use Chrome for a while. If the crashes stop, turn extensions back on one at a time until the bad one is identified.
- Close tabs you are not using. On Windows, check Task Manager to see whether Chrome is consuming most available memory.
Clear cache and reset Chrome to default settings
Use this when crashes follow certain sites or browser features.
- Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows or Cmd+Shift+Delete on Mac.
- Set the time range to All time.
- Select Cached images and files, then clear data.
- If crashes continue, open chrome://settings/reset.
- Choose Restore settings to their original defaults and confirm.
Resetting Chrome disables extensions, clears temporary site data, and resets startup, homepage, and search settings. It keeps bookmarks, saved passwords, and browsing history.
More control
Check graphics acceleration
Chrome uses graphics hardware for smooth page rendering. Outdated graphics drivers can crash video-heavy pages. On Windows, check Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates for drivers. On Mac, install updates from System Settings > General > Software Update. If crashes continue, open chrome://settings/system, turn off Use graphics acceleration when available, and relaunch Chrome.
Try a fresh Chrome profile
If crashes happen everywhere even with extensions disabled, create a new profile from the profile picture menu > Add. If the new profile is stable, the old profile may be damaged. Move bookmarks over and retire the old one.
Scan for unwanted software
On Windows, open chrome://settings/reset and use Clean up computer if available, and also run your normal antivirus scan. Adware or background software can interfere with Chrome enough to cause repeated crashes.
Sources
- Google Chrome Help – Fix Aw, Snap page crashes and other page loading errors (2025)
- Google Chrome Help – Reset Chrome settings to default (2025)
- Microsoft Support – Diagnose and fix Windows memory problems (2025)