Android: How to Fix Laggy Scrolling on Google Chrome

If you own an Android phone and have difficulties with scrolling on the Chrome app, you’re not alone. A lot of users have reported this issue on forums across the internet, and while there is no guaranteed way the issue comes up, there are solutions that exist which could be beneficial to check out.

Today, we’ve compiled a list of the best possible ways to address the laggy scrolling that messes with your browsing experience on Chrome with Android.

The reason behind the scrolling issues could be one of many things. However, there could just be some instability with your operating system which is pretty common with Android devices. Considering that Android is used on many devices, it’s no surprise that this happens occasionally.

Here are some of the things we’ve learned along the way while attempting to address these issues:

Install the latest System Update for your Device

The inability to scroll smoothly on your Android Smartphone may be caused by System Updates in some cases, it also has the ability to be solved with a new update from the developers.

This is because devs tend to pay attention to the issues faced by their user base. If you’re dealing with these problems, you can trust that there are people working and ready to push out solutions, especially when it is caused by errors on their part.

In Android 9 and later versions, the solution is some version of the following steps:

1. Go to your Settings app and scroll down to the bottom
2. Choose System
3. Tap on System Update (Software Update in some cases)
4. Tap on Check for Updates

If you’re facing an issue with your update, you can quickly download and install it. This fixes the issue pretty quickly and allows you to enjoy a seamless scrolling experience on Chrome.

However, this solution does not work for everyone who encounters it. In such cases, check out some other solutions we’ve detailed below.

Wipe the cache partition on your device

A major reason behind the laggy scrolling experience on an Android device can be due to a corrupted system cache. Your system cache is responsible for how smooth your device loads and processes input.

However, there are instances where it can be corrupted, leading to issues on your device including laggy scrolling, crashes and freezing in applications. This might be why your Chrome scrolling experience is subpar, so here’s how to fix that.

Here is what you do:

1. Turn off your device and wait for a few seconds
2. Long-press your Power + Volume up button until you are presented with the Android Recovery screen. Alternatively, it might be the Power + Volume down button which you can use depending on the model of your device.
3. Use the Volume down button to highlight the Wipe cache partition option
4. Click on your power button to selection this option
5. Use the Volume down button to highlight Yes and confirm it with the Power button
6. After a second, you can use the Reboot system now option in order to restart your device.

Reset/ReInstall the Chrome Application

Sometimes, Android Apps have a tendency to develop problems as the cache partition gets used. These files and pieces of data may be corrupted, so you’ll need to rely on clearing the cache or reinstalling the application on order to get it back to a regular state.

Follow these steps to address the issue:

1. Go to your Settings app
2. Select the Apps & notifications window
3. Tap See all apps
4. Select your Google Chrome app
5. Go to Storage & Cache
6. Tap Clear cache and tap on Clear storage

This solution frees up some of the congestion and clears any possible bugs that may have affected your user experience with scrolling.

Once you’re done with this method, you should restart your device to ensure that everything you cleared is completely out of the way. Additionally, it reboots your other applications and allows you to view your scrolling experience with a fresh slate.

If this doesn’t work, you can try reinstalling the application instead.

1. Open your Google Play Store application and search for “Google Chrome”
2. Tap the app and select Uninstall
3. After that process is completed, tap Install to get the application back again

Free up Storage on your Device

If you have too many unused apps, there is a tendency that it may cause issues with your Chrome experience due to the lack of storage space for cache files and temporary files.

In such situations, it is best to give your smartphone some breathing room by removing apps and files that you don’t tend to use. If your device came with a lot of preinstalled applications, you can simply start removing them and seeing how it affects the performance of Chrome.

Follow these steps to remove unused apps:

1. Go to the Apps section in the system settings by opening Settings > Apps & notifications > See all apps
2. Scroll through the apps and if you find one that is rarely used, you can click on it
3. Tap Uninstall and do the same procedure for other unused applications.

Once this is completed, check out your Google Chrome and test the scrolling experience to see if it is still uncomfortable.

Reset your device

A system reset might be the dreaded solution, but if the scrolling issues are very bothersome, you may be left with no choice. Here is how to do it.

Do the following:

1. Open the Settings app
2. Scroll and tap on System then Reset options.
3. Choose Wipe data (factory reset) from your options
4. Read the information and tap RESET to confirm your choices.
5. Finally, you will need to confirm your device pattern, pin or password and wait for your device to reboot fully.
6. After the reboot is over, use your phone and check if the issue is fixed.