X

Check memory usage for Firefox add-ons

Browser running slow lately? One of your add-on installs may be the culprit eating your performance. Here's how to find out which one.

Nicole Cozma
Nicole Cozma has an affinity for Android apps and devices, but loves technology in general. Based out of the Tampa Bay Area, she enjoys being a spectator to both sunsets and lightning storms.
Nicole Cozma

A sample of Firefox add-ons. Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET

Using many Firefox add-ons at once can cause the application to dramatically slow down. This is because for each add-on, you're using a piece of your computer's memory. The most obvious solution is to uninstall some of them, but perhaps that's not a good option for you.

As an alternative, try checking out how much memory each add-on is using. Firefox provides information on memory allocation (about:memory), but it isn't in the most user-friendly format. The next best option is to install yet another add-on. However, this particular add-on will report its own memory usage as well.

Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET

To get started, all you need to do is install a copy of about:addons-memory for your Firefox browser.

Memory used by add-ons in Firefox. Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET

Next, just type about:addons-memory in the address bar, no restart needed. The memory used by each add-on will be displayed.

Now you'll be able to access the memory usage for all of your add-ons in a more efficient manner. If you're having issues with Firefox running slowly or consuming a large chunk of memory, it might be time to remove some of the more greedy add-ons. Sometimes there are alternatives that make better uses of memory and can keep your Firefox running smooth.

Have you found any serious memory hogs? Call them out in the comments!


(Via Ghacks)