Google Chrome tests new feature to extend battery life by up to two hours

Google is experimenting with limiting Javascript timer wake-ups on its Chrome browser, which results in significant battery savings. — Reuters

Google is experimenting with a new setting for its Chrome browser, which could extend battery life for select mobile devices by nearly two hours.

TheWindowsClub reported the experimental feature is meant to limit the number of Javascript timer wake-ups per minute for webpages running in the background.

These wake-ups check on inactive tabs for interactions that should be happening on the page – for example if the scroll position changed, reporting logs, and analysing interactions with ads – but some of the non-essential JavaScript tasks in the background also drains the battery faster.

However, developers have found that Google Chrome did not benefit from excessive usage of Javascript timers for background webpages.

A technical document seen by TheWindowsClub showed that Google had experimented with various scenarios where the Javascript timer wake-ups were set to once per minute, to gauge its impact on battery life.

The researchers found that with 36 background tabs and the foreground tab being left blank, the battery life of the device was extended by two hours.

Meanwhile, with the same number of background tabs and the foreground tab playing a YouTube video in full screen, Google found that the battery lasted only 36 minutes longer.

This feature is expected to be rolled out with Chrome 86 for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and Chrome OS.

According to the website, enterprise users would be able to disable the feature to avoid issues while the feature was still being worked on.

However, the option to disable would be removed one year after the feature is confirmed to be stable.