QUESTION

Why does my MacBook get hot when using Chrome?

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Asked May 28, 2026
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Answer94% confidence

Chrome can make a MacBook hot because it’s often doing a lot in the background: many tabs, ads, extensions, video calls, streaming, and heavy web apps can push CPU, GPU, and memory hard.

Most common causes

  • Too many active tabs
  • Heavy extensions
  • Video or screen sharing
  • Big web apps like Docs, Figma, Slack, or Notion
  • One runaway tab or Chrome process
  • Chrome background activity
  • Poor airflow from using the Mac on a bed, lap, or soft surface
  • Older Intel MacBooks, which usually run hotter than Apple silicon models

What to do

  1. Open Chrome Task Manager and sort by CPU or Memory.
  2. Check Activity Monitor for Chrome or Google Chrome Helper.
  3. Disable extensions at chrome://extensions/.
  4. Turn on Memory Saver in Chrome Settings > Performance.
  5. Close heavy tabs and restart Chrome if needed.
  6. Update Chrome and macOS.
  7. Use the Mac on a hard, flat surface.

If Safari stays much cooler on the same sites, Chrome or one of its extensions is likely the main cause.