Unfortunately, this can sometimes result in Firefox becoming bogged down. If your Firefox is running too slow for your taste, try one of these methods to speed it up and get back to browsing the web in style.
Tips to Speed Up Firefox
If Firefox runs more like a tortoise, try one of these fixes.
Update Firefox
The first thing you should do if Firefox is running slow is check for Firefox updates. Keeping your browser up to date will eliminate many sources of slowdown. Browser updates patch security flaws and add new features, so it’s essential to keep your browser updated for more reasons than just performance.
Turn Off Hardware Acceleration
Hardware acceleration can help performance, but if you encounter driver issues or have a particular GPU setup, it can cause lag. Disabling hardware acceleration can speed up Firefox. This will disable hardware acceleration and potentially speed up your browser.
Clear Up Space
Firefox has a history of using too much system memory. While most of these problems have been fixed, you can manually adjust the amount of memory Firefox uses. A message will display when the process completes, along with the date and time it finished. This process limits the amount of RAM Firefox can use, which will stop it from dominating system resources.
Clear Your Cookies And Cache
Clearing your browser history, cookies, and cache is an easy way to speed up your browser. This will wipe your browsing history, your cache, and your cookies. You might have to log back into websites after this step. Check to ensure Firefox isn’t still running slow.
Disable Animations
Firefox uses small animations while websites are loading, closing tabs, or other activities. If you are using an older machine, these animations can cause a slowdown. Disabling them will speed up Firefox just a little more. Disabling animation reduces the load on your system.
Disable Prefetch
When it works correctly, prefetching can save time. It guesses which sites you’ll visit based on your history and loads the page before you click. However, if the system is buggy or there’s a glitch, it can cause a significant slowdown for Firefox. Consider disabling prefetching to speed up Firefox. If this process results in further slowdown, set the two settings back to their original states.
Refresh Firefox
Refreshing Firefox will clear corrupt data, stop buggy extensions, and more. Firefox will shut down and then restart.
Disable Add-ons
Add-ons are one of the ways Firefox offers so much customization, but occasionally these add-ons can cause performance issues. Disable your add-ons all at once (or one at a time) to check whether they are slowing your browser. If you want to re-enable the add-on, just select the slider again to turn it back on.
Drop Your Custom Themes
Firefox allows you to use a custom theme, but that can sometimes cause the browser to run more slowly. Switch back to the Default theme to test if there is any difference. If you see no improvement, then there is no harm in turning your custom theme back on.
Turn Off Data Collection
Firefox collects data and telemetry to help improve the browser. You can try disabling this to speed up performance.
Disable Third-Party Antivirus Programs
There is some evidence that third-party antivirus programs like Avast might cause Firefox to run slow. Provided you have access to a first-party antivirus program like Microsoft Defender, try disabling other programs and testing Firefox’s performance. Firefox is a popular browser for a reason. It gives granular access to a slew of different options that allow you to customize the browser for your purposes, but if it starts to run slow, try these troubleshooting tips to speed it up.
