Question Often unable to switch between Chrome windows on Android tablet

[dj54321]

On my 6 week old Lenovo Android 13 M9, I often cannot switch between Google Chrome windows (by tapping on a different open window) without going back to the home screen and then clicking on the Chrome icon to return to the Chrome windows. Once I do that, switching windows works fine for 5 minutes to maybe 2 hours. I've been updating Chrome as my tablet alerts me to new updates. I usually have 10 to 20 windows open. Please advise.

 

[VidJunky]

Sounds like something may have during a Chrome update or something. You can probably clear this up by clearing the app cache for Chrome. To do this, go to Settings>Applications>Chrome>Storage>Clear cache. Clearing the cache will not cause you to lose any information or affect the app's behavior. If all of your bookmarks are backed up to the cloud you could also clear data, but this will clear cookies, local history (not backed up to the cloud) and any settings you may have set for the app itself, like dark mode.

Let us know if helps or not and we'll offer more advice.

 

[B. Diddy]

Are you talking about browser tabs along the top, or are you tapping the tab management button to bring up all of the open tabs in thumbnail view?

 

[dj54321]

Are you talking about browser tabs along the top, or are you tapping the tab management button to bring up all of the open tabs in thumbnail view?

The former. So I guess you haven't had similar issues on your Lenovo M9?

 

[dj54321]

Sounds like something may have during a Chrome update or something. You can probably clear this up by clearing the app cache for Chrome. To do this, go to Settings>Applications>Chrome>Storage>Clear cache. Clearing the cache will not cause you to lose any information or affect the app's behavior. If all of your bookmarks are backed up to the cloud you could also clear data, but this will clear cookies, local history (not backed up to the cloud) and any settings you may have set for the app itself, like dark mode.

Let us know if helps or not and we'll offer more advice.

1) You might want to edit your first sentence to make it clearer (at least to me).

2) I followed your suggestion to clear Chrome's cache, but it didn't solve the problem.

3) I'm not too keen on trying your second suggestion of clearing Chrome's data as I know nothing about clouds and very little about bookmarks.

 

[dj54321]

OP here, I should mention that this is a recent problem -- only for approx 1.5 weeks. I often change settings but if a change I made is causing the problem, you wouldn't expect the problem to be sporadic.

 

[B. Diddy]

I use Chrome frequently on my Tab M9, and haven't noticed any issues with swapping between browser tabs.

See if it happens in Safe Mode: https://www.hardreset.info/devices/lenovo/lenovo-tab-m9/safe-mode/

 

[VidJunky]

That last thing that you said, it's recent and sporadic, leads me to think that maybe you have a bad app. Something that's only active sometimes, like when you're having the problem, only started recently, have you installed something new, I know you mentioned playing with some settings or something. If it's from inside the app check to see if you have something like a settings reset or a default button that you can go back to all basic stuff. That would eliminate it being a setting at least in Chrome. There's no universal reverse settings thing that you can do if it's from say a different app behaving badly.

 

[dj54321]

I use Chrome frequently on my Tab M9, and haven't noticed any issues with swapping between browser tabs.

See if it happens in Safe Mode: https://www.hardreset.info/devices/lenovo/lenovo-tab-m9/safe-mode/

Great idea. I'll save it for if I have problems in the future. Please see post #11 below.

 

[dj54321]

That last thing that you said, it's recent and sporadic, leads me to think that maybe you have a bad app. Something that's only active sometimes, like when you're having the problem, only started recently, have you installed something new, I know you mentioned playing with some settings or something. If it's from inside the app check to see if you have something like a settings reset or a default button that you can go back to all basic stuff. That would eliminate it being a setting at least in Chrome. There's no universal reverse settings thing that you can do if it's from say a different app behaving badly.

I just read through my listing of apps in settings/apps. I haven't downloaded anything recently. Rather I transfered apps from old tablet to new via wifi ( and Bluetooth?). Please see post #11 below.

 

[dj54321]

OP here, I used Chrome for 6 or 7 hours yesterday and also 6 or 7 hours today, constantly switching between tabs (windows). The issue only surfaced approx 7 or 8 times yesterday and only once (or twice?) today.

If it stays this infrequent I don't mind. If it becomes worse, I'll try B.Diddys safe mode suggestion in his post #7 above. Thank you!

 

[VidJunky]

Something to consider with blind app transfer, especially when doing it without looking each one from the device on the Play Store, is it may not be compatible with the device or may have other issues. Not all apps are compatible with all devices, and just because it installs doesn't mean anything either.

Rather than performing your trick get it working next time it happens, instead try closing all the apps you have in the background but opening your quick switch screen and closing everything, except for Chrome of course, and see if functionality returns. Note the apps that are open when you do this and see if you can find a pattern where one or more apps are the same ones you find repeatedly. Then try disabling one or two of them to see if the issue still returns when these apps are totally out of the equation.