Google is testing a "start at boot" feature for Chrome that will open the browser when you open your PC.
Unused RAM is wasted RAM, right? Assuming your PC can handle the load of some extra Chrome tabs at startup, a new feature could help you jump into the web quicker.
Google has a new feature in the works that will make it easier to hop into your browser. Chrome is already testing the option to have the browser open up when you start your PC.
The feature, which is currently in testing in the Canary Channel, is disabled by default. Within the Chrome Settings page, you can toggle the option to "Open Chrome when my computer starts."
Browser expert Leo Varela spotted the change and highlighted it on X.
Chrome already has a few options for startup that control how the browser acts when opened: Open the New Tab page, Continue where you left off, and Open a specific page or set of pages.
The new startup option to have Chrome open when you boot up your PC can be used in conjunction with the preexisting choices.
My headline about Chrome using more RAM is somewhat in jest. While the browser does gobble up RAM, the startup feature seems useful in certain cases. It's also off by default.
At my work PC, I sit at my desk and open a browser immediately. I usually open my browser to the same five websites. It would save me a few clicks to have a browser open when I start my PC.
Microsoft Edge has a similar feature that opens the browser when you sign in to Windows, but that feature has Edge open in the background.
Chrome is already notorious for gobbling up RAM—does it really need a head start on your system resources before you've even opened a tab? Let me know if this 'shortcut' is a feature or just more bloat.
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Posted Saturday 31 January 2026 at 6:27 am AEST (my time).
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