How to Boost Chrome Download Speed on Android: Has it ever happened that you need to download a file urgently but the speed of the Chrome browser is so slow that it seems that it may take a whole day to download?
You are an Android user and such a moment can happen to you too. And when this happens, the frustration increases a lot because we all want the work to be done immediately, without any interruption.
In this blogpost you will know that How to Boost Chrome Download Speed on Android. I will share some tips with you which are simple and practical solutions that you can try immediately. Even if your internet speed is fine but still your chrome browser’s performance seems dull, then here you will get an effective solution to that problem. Then your browser’s download speed will increase.
How to Boost Chrome Download Speed on Android – 8 Quick Fixes
✅ 1. Check Your Internet Connection
If the download speed of Chrome browser is slow in your Android phone, then first check your internet connection. Sometimes the download speed decreases due to network problems.
Wi-Fi vs Mobile Data: Which is better?
- Wi-Fi (high-speed broadband) is better for downloading.
- Mobile data (4G/5G) is fine if there is a strong signal, but the speed will be slow in a weak network.
- Tip: Always use Wi-Fi to download large files.
Use speed test tools
- Use these tools to check your internet speed:
- Fast.com (shows only download speed)
- Speedtest.net (checks both download + upload speed)
If the speed is low, then:
✔ Restart the router
✔ Turn on/off the airplane mode of the phone
Network switching suggestion
- If Wi-Fi is slow, then shift to mobile data and test.
- If there is a problem with mobile data, try another network (Jio/Airtel/VI).
- Use 5G network if available (for faster speed).
✅ 2. Update Chrome Browser
Google keeps bringing new updates for Chrome every day. Updates like performance improvement and speed optimization are also included in them. To make your Chrome browser run fast, you should always keep Chrome browser updated. Let’s know how to update Chrome browser:
What’s better in the updated version?
- Faster download speed
- Better security patches
- Bug fixes that affect speed
- New features that make browsing smoother
How to update Chrome from Play Store?
- Open the Google Play Store
- Type “Google Chrome” in the search bar
- Go to the Chrome app page
- Tap the “Update” button if it appears
- Wait for updates to download and install
Check auto-update settings
To always get the latest version:
- Go to the Play Store
- Profile icon > Settings > Network preferences
- Go to “Auto-update apps”
- Select “Only over Wi-Fi” or “On any network”
What if there’s no update available?
- Your Chrome may already be up to date
- Check the “My Apps” section of the Play Store
- Restart your phone and try again
✅ 3. Clear Chrome Cache and Browsing Data
Chrome browser saves information, images, scripts and other files of the websites you visit in the form of cache, so that the next time the site opens immediately. Let us know how download speed is impacted due to this and how it can be cleared:
How cache data can slow down download speed?
When a lot of old garbage i.e. old or corrupted cache gets accumulated in chrome, then the chrome browser has to scan those files again and again with every request due to which the performance of the browser slows down and this affects the download speed. Hence the download speed becomes slow.
If the cache is cleared from time to time, then the browser remains light and due to which the download speed becomes fast.
How to clear cache and browsing data from Chrome settings?
- First of all open Chrome browser on your Android device.
- Tap on the three dots (menu) on the top right.
- Go to “History” and then tap on “Clear browsing data…”.
- Here you will see two tabs – Basic and Advanced.
- Go to Basic and select “Cached images and files” and “Browsing history”.
- Select the time range as “All time” so that the old data can be completely cleared.
- Tap on the Clear data button.
Caution: Saved data may be lost
By clearing the cache and browsing data, websites in which you are already logged in, may remove auto login. That means you may have to login again by entering the password.
So if you have saved passwords or any important form data, then before clearing the cache, you will have to go to the advance tab and uncheck the passwords and autofill form data.
✅ 4. Enable Parallel Downloading in Chrome Flags
Parallel download is a hidden feature that most people don’t know about. If you want, you can turn it on directly from Chrome’s experimental settings i.e. chrome://flags.
What is Parallel Downloading?
Parallel downloading is a technique in which large files can be divided into several smaller parts and downloaded simultaneously. The advantage of this is that the file downloads fast because several connections work simultaneously.
It is like if 5 people do a work together then the work will be finished quickly, similarly this feature reduces the download time.
How to use chrome://flags?
Chrome flags is a hidden section of settings that provides the option to enable or disable features created for development or testing. Although these features are experimental, using them in this way can provide better performance and speed.
Step-by-step: How to turn on Parallel Downloading
- Open the Chrome browser on your Android phone.
- Type: chrome://flags in the address bar and press Enter.
- Type “parallel downloading” in the search bar at the top.
- Change the option that appears from “Default” to “Enabled”.
- At bottom, you will see a “Relaunch” button — tap it to restart the browser and apply the new feature.
⚠️ Note: This feature is experimental, but many Chrome users experienced improvement in download speeds using it.
✅ 5. Turn Off Data Saver (Lite Mode)
Have you ever noticed that the download speed slows down when “Lite Mode” is turned on in Chrome? While this feature saves data, it also affects your download speed. Let’s understand in detail:
How does Lite Mode slow down download speed?
- Data compression: Lite Mode sends all data compressed through Google servers
- Use of proxy servers: Your connection goes through Google servers instead of directly through the website
- File size reduction: Reduces the quality and size of the original file
- Caching limitation: Limits caching for less data usage
Steps to turn off Lite Mode/Data Saver in Chrome
- Open the Chrome browser
- Tap the three dots (⋮) in the top right corner
- Go to “Settings”
- Find the “Lite mode” (or “Data saver”) option
- Turn the toggle button off
- Restart Chrome
In what situations can Lite Mode be useful?
This is useful When your data plan is limited or if In your area with slow internet speeds. Another situation in which this is helpful for reading only text-based content.
Note: If you don’t see “Lite mode” option in Chrome browser, this feature may not be available in your device or in your Chrome version.
✅ 6. Use a Download Manager Extension or App
If you are troubled by the slow speed of Chrome, then you can increase the download speed of Chrome by 2-3 times using third-party download manager apps like ADM or 1DM. Let’s know how:
Why Chrome’s inbuilt download manager is limited?
The Chrome browser is primarily designed for web browsing, not heavy file downloading.
It has the following limitations:
Does not resume if the file download is paused
Only a few downloads can run simultaneously at a time
No option to control or increase the download speed
Recommended Download Manager Apps
There are some great download managers available on Android that can link to Chrome and make your downloads a lot easier:
1. Advanced Download Manager (ADM)
- Supports multi-threading (i.e. downloads a single file in multiple parts)
- Pause/Resume feature
- Organizes files by category
- Supports downloading in the background
- User-friendly interface
- Known for high-speed downloading
- Auto-detect feature that automatically identifies videos/files
How to use these apps
- First, download an app like ADM or IDM from the Play Store.
- Open the app and give the necessary permissions.
- Now whenever you want to download a file in Chrome browser,
- Copy that link
- Open the ADM app and paste the link by clicking on the “Add” button
- ADM automatically detects the file and starts fast download through multi-threading.
Some apps may require adjusting Accessibility or Battery Optimization settings to work properly.
✅ 7. Free Up Device Storage
Having less storage on your Android device not only affects the app performance but also the download speed of Chrome. Here’s how:
How does low storage affect download speed?
When there is very less space on your phone, Chrome takes time to find space to download anything. Due to which the system becomes slow and thus the download process becomes slow. Sometimes the file stops in the middle with an error of “insufficient storage”.
The background process also affects the speed of Chrome. Therefore, it would be better if you keep at least 1 to 2 GB of free space in your phone if you want to download a file.
How to check storage and delete unwanted files?
- Go to Settings on your Android phone
- Open the Storage or Device care section
- Here you can see how much space is occupied by which app or data
Now follow the steps given below:
- Uninstall unused apps
- Go to Downloads folder and delete old files
- Delete large videos and photos received on WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.
- Use cleaner apps like Files by Google, which can safely remove cache, junk files and duplicate media
⚠️Caution: Before deleting any important document or photo, make sure to backup it.
✅ 8. Close Background Apps
When you are downloading a file from Chrome browser, many other apps on your phone may be using internet data and system resources in the background. This can slow down your download speed.
How do background apps consume bandwidth?
- Social media apps (like Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp) often keep checking media sync and notifications in the background
- Cloud services (like Google Drive, OneDrive) upload/download files in the background
- Streaming apps (like Spotify or YouTube Music) may be streaming audio in the background
All these processes reduce your network bandwidth and Chrome is not able to get full speed, which can slow down downloads.
How to close Recent Apps in Android?
- Open your Android phone’s Recent Apps screen (usually opened with a navigation button or a gesture swipe)
- Look for apps that are open but not in use
- Close each app by swiping left or right — or
- use the “Close all” button at the bottom (if available)
⚠️ Note: Don’t close some essential apps, like antivirus or calls, if they’re important.
When you close these background apps, your Chrome browser gets full bandwidth, allowing files to download quickly and without interruptions.
Conclusion
If you are facing problem in downloading files on chrome browser in android phone, then you can try all the above given solutions. Surely, your problem will be solved.
We have tried to explain step by step in as simple a way as possible so that you can easily increase the download speed of your chrome browser. It is possible that you know some of these solutions, and we have told some extra.
Still, you should try these solutions one by one, and whatever difference you feel, do tell us in the comments. Also tell us which trick worked for you. Your comment will help other people too.
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