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How to Fix Scrolling Delay in Chrome After Recent Android System Update

If Chrome suddenly feels slow to scroll after an Android system update, you’re not imagining it. Many users notice a slight lag, stuttering movement, or delayed touch response even though the phone worked fine before. The good news: this usually isn’t hardware damage. It’s almost always a software mismatch that can be corrected in a few minutes.

The quickest fix is to refresh Chrome’s cached data and reset a few performance settings that tend to break after system updates. Start there before trying anything more drastic.

Clear Chrome Cache (Most Common Fix)

Android updates sometimes leave older app cache files incompatible with the new system rendering engine. Chrome keeps using them, which causes delayed scrolling or uneven movement.

Try this first:

  1. Open Settings on your phone.
  2. Go to Apps → Chrome.
  3. Tap Storage & Cache.
  4. Select Clear Cache (not Clear Storage).
  5. Restart Chrome.

In many cases, scrolling immediately feels normal again.

Disable Chrome Accessibility Features (If Enabled)

After system updates, Android may automatically enable accessibility optimizations that interfere with gesture responsiveness. These features are helpful for assistive tools but can introduce scrolling delay.

  1. Open Chrome.
  2. Type chrome://settings/accessibility in the address bar.
  3. Turn off options like simplified view or forced accessibility features if they appear enabled.

Close Chrome completely and reopen it before testing.

Check Display Smoothness or Refresh Rate

Some Android updates reset display settings. If your phone switched from a high refresh rate to standard mode, scrolling can suddenly feel sluggish even though Chrome itself isn’t malfunctioning.

  1. Go to Settings → Display.
  2. Look for Smooth Display, Motion Smoothness, or Refresh Rate.
  3. Enable the higher or adaptive option.

This change often restores the smooth feel people expect while browsing.

Update Chrome Through Play Store

System updates sometimes arrive before app updates that optimize compatibility. Running an older Chrome version on a newer Android build can cause rendering delays.

  1. Open the Google Play Store.
  2. Search for Google Chrome.
  3. Tap Update if available.

After updating, force close Chrome once and reopen it.

Turn Off Chrome Flags That Affect Rendering

If you’ve ever experimented with Chrome experimental flags, an update may have made one unstable.

  1. Type chrome://flags in the address bar.
  2. Tap Reset all.
  3. Relaunch Chrome when prompted.

This restores default rendering behavior and removes conflicts introduced by older tweaks.

One Practical Tip

After major Android updates, restarting the phone twice — not just once — helps rebuild background optimization processes. It sounds unnecessary, but Android reindexes apps gradually, and Chrome performance can improve noticeably afterward.

Once cache files are refreshed and Chrome matches the updated system, scrolling should return to normal responsiveness.