Did you know that the Windows Task Manager shortcut has an alternative function? Shift + ESC opens the Chrome task manager, which can come in handy if you find yourself frequently having to see what’s running in the background while browsing the web on Chrome. Here’s how it works and how you can use it most effectively in your day-to-day browsing routine! The Chrome Task Manager Trick That Most People Don’t Know
What is Shift+Esc
If you’re using a Chromebook or any other computer that runs Google’s Chrome browser, and you need to get out of an app and back to your desktop quickly, try Shift+Esc. It will immediately dump you back at your desktop.
What Does the Task Manager Do
The Chrome task manager, otherwise known as a process explorer or system monitor, can be used to kill processes with extreme prejudice. While you can use it for basic stuff like closing your tabs (just right-click and select close other tabs) and ending misbehaving extensions/apps, most people don’t know that you can do a lot more.
How to Start using it
Let’s say you’re in a complex website and want to find out which extensions are slowing it down. Here’s how to start using it: just hit Shift + ESC and then click on Processes tab. You’ll be able to see all your active extensions there and understand which one is causing problems on your website so you can close it down.
Intermediate Hacks
The Google Chrome task manager is a pretty useful tool. From it, you can view all open windows and tabs, killing off processes that may be hogging system resources. You can also kill websites that are trying to hijack your browser or force you to sign up for something through fake download buttons or spammy pop-ups. However, there’s one lesser-known feature of Google’s own web browser that enables you to perform advanced actions on multiple tabs at once by pressing a combination of keyboard shortcuts.
Expert Hacks
Unless you’re a power user or developer, chances are you haven’t yet dug into Google Chrome’s task manager. While it might not be as robust as that of other browsers, it can still come in handy, especially if you use extensions.
Beginner Hacks
If you’re just getting started with a new program, chances are you don’t know all of its best features. So how do you learn them? If there aren’t any helpful YouTube tutorials, one good trick is to hit that old standby: CTRL + F (on Windows) or CMD + F (on Mac). In most programs, this brings up a little search bar at the top of your screen.