Chrome reloads tabs when you switch back: test a site exception

If a background tab reloads only when you return to it, test a site exception in desktop Chrome before changing unrelated settings. Save your work first. A shopping checkout, application form, or work document is a poor place to experiment with reloads that could discard an unfinished action.

This guide uses Google’s US English desktop instructions. The Performance controls discussed here do not apply to Chrome on Android or iPhone. A reloaded page, a signed-out account, and a crashed tab can look similar but need different next steps.

Record one example before changing anything

Choose a harmless page where you can reproduce the issue without submitting a payment or losing a draft. Note the address, whether it happens after switching tabs, and the exact error if one appears. Record whether another site behaves the same way.

Do not put passwords, session links, private document addresses, or payment details in a public support post. A short description of the sequence is usually more useful than a screenshot containing account information.

Test one narrow exception

Google explains that Memory Saver can deactivate unused tabs, which reload when revisited. On desktop Chrome, open More → Settings → Performance. Review Memory Saver, then use Add beside Always keep these sites active to select a currently open site or enter its address.

Start with the affected site rather than a broad wildcard. Google’s manual address rules distinguish a host from its subdomains, so check the listed entry against the address you actually use. Leave unrelated sites alone while testing. This changes the experiment’s scope and makes its result easier to interpret.

Chrome’s inactive-tab appearance can provide another clue when enabled. Some activities, including partially filled forms or pinned tabs, can already prevent deactivation. That still does not make either behavior a promise that unfinished work is saved.

Decide whether the test worked

Return to the same harmless page, follow the sequence you recorded, and compare the outcome. There is no universal waiting period that proves every site is fixed. Keep the test conditions similar enough to make the comparison useful.

Success means the unwanted reload no longer occurs in your reproducible case and the intended page remains usable. It does not mean a login session will last indefinitely. If only one service signs you out, record that separately rather than repeatedly adding exceptions.

If the exception does not help, keep that observation. “Still reloads with this site listed” is better evidence than assuming every reload is caused by Memory Saver. Save the time, affected site, Chrome version, and whether the entire browser closed or only the page refreshed.

When Memory Saver is already off or the tab crashes

Google’s crash guide recommends reducing competing tabs and apps, pausing downloads, and trying the page again. Save work before closing anything. You can also compare a non-sensitive page in another browser to distinguish a Chrome-specific problem from a website or connection failure.

If both browsers fail, the site owner needs the error and timing. If other websites also fail, investigate the connection before changing more browser settings. If Chrome alone crashes, follow the official crash guide with your observations available; clearing all browsing data or reinstalling is not a useful first experiment for this particular symptom.

For a work or school installation, check the bottom of Chrome’s menu for Managed by your organization, or open chrome://management. Ask the administrator about locked settings. Do not remove policies or attempt to bypass management to make a Performance control available.

What to send to support

Use the Chrome Help Community linked from the official help pages for an unresolved Chrome issue, or contact the website’s own support if the failure is service-specific. Include the test sequence, the result with the exception, and any exact error. Redact account details.

The useful endpoint is a repeatable result or a specific handoff: an exception that helps this site, a crash report to investigate, a website session problem, or a managed setting for an administrator. Repeating the same setting change without new observations will not distinguish those cases.

Official guidance checked October 30, 2026. These are documented troubleshooting steps, not a claim of testing on your device.