This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Rohkem teavet

Firefox using over 1 GB RAM after update

  • 7 vastust
  • 2 on selline probleem
  • 27 views
  • Viimati vastas cor-el

more options

It didn't start until the last update. I'm on Mac Snow Leopard and I tried turning off extensions. I have nothing else open, no other software except utility (to confirm its FF sucking the RAM). I have 1 or 2 tabs open. And yet it's sucking over half my RAM! I don't normally need that much and therefore haven't bothered to upgrade. No way I should need to up the RAM JUST for a browser with no extensions on and only 1 or 2 tabs open! What is going on here?

It didn't start until the last update. I'm on Mac Snow Leopard and I tried turning off extensions. I have nothing else open, no other software except utility (to confirm its FF sucking the RAM). I have 1 or 2 tabs open. And yet it's sucking over half my RAM! I don't normally need that much and therefore haven't bothered to upgrade. No way I should need to up the RAM JUST for a browser with no extensions on and only 1 or 2 tabs open! What is going on here?

All Replies (7)

more options
more options

It's not AS bad in safe mode but I am seeing it climbing rapidly even in safe mode as soon as I do serious browsing. Does Safe Mode do anything but turn of add ons? (because I had already done that and it didn't work).

more options

Safe Mode is a troubleshooting mode that temporarily turns off hardware acceleration, resets some settings, and disables add-ons (extensions and themes). If the problem goes away, that tells us one thing. If it does not, that tells us something else.


Start Firefox in Safe Mode {web link} While you are in safe mode;

Type about:preferences#advanced<Enter> in the address bar.

Under Advanced, Select General. Look for and turn off Use Hardware Acceleration.

Then restart Firefox. Are there any problems?


Type about:addons<enter> in the address bar to open the Add-ons Manager. Hot key; <Control>(Mac=<Command>) <Shift> A)

On the left side of the page, select Appearance. Then select Default.

more options

hardware acceleration was already off.....I did find something in the mac console. a lot of 'leaking' messages.

more options

Anyone out there going to answer? The problem has now cropped up on my work PC running Windows 10 with 'plugin container' showing as using a lot of RAM. This is even worse because I need the extensions, I work in web design and some of them are critical in helping do what I do.

more options

I've called the big guys to help you. Good luck.

more options

Does Firefox release memory when you close tabs?

Are you visiting website that have a lot of images?


You can try to create a new profile as a test to check if your current profile is causing the problem.

See "Creating a profile":

If the new profile works then you can transfer files from a previously used profile to the new profile, but be cautious not to copy corrupted files to avoid carrying over problems.