How To Limit Download Speed in Google Chrome

Evan Gower October 2, 2020

Chrome and other browsers allow you to download files with a few clicks, and all you have to do is wait for the file to transfer to your computer. However, downloading multiple files at the same time can create bandwidth issues. If that happens to you, this article will tell you how to limit your Chrome download speed and maintain control over all your downloads.

Limit Download Speed

Google Chrome comes with all of the features you need to limit the download speed on your device. The method we will describe doesn’t require you to install or download any extra programs.

Here is all that you need to do to limit your Chrome download speed:

Open Chrome and select the three dots. Find More Tools and click on Developer Tools. You can also access the tools by pressing Ctrl+Shift+I.
Click on the tree vertical dots at the top-right corner of the DevTools panel and select “Settings” from the drop-down menu.
Select the Throttling tab to get access to the Network Throttling Profiles screen. Select “Add custom profile…” to create your new custom profile.
During profile creation, you will have to enter the download speed limit in kb/s. You can also limit the upload speed if needed. Be careful not to exceed your maximum bandwidth. If you are not sure what your internet connection speed is, use Speedtest to figure that out first.
Set the rates to your liking and enter a profile name for it. For example, you can name one profile “Slow”, for when you want to seriously limit the download speed, and create one called “Fast” for maximum download speed.
Complete the process by clicking “Add.”

That’s all you need to do to limit the download speed on Chrome. You can return to the DevTools tab at any time to create new profiles or edit the existing ones.

Important Things to Keep in Mind

It takes a little practice to master DevTools. The feature can be confusing, so it’s essential that you know how things work before you start making any changes. For example, you have to select a download profile before you start downloading a file. Read the list below to learn how to use this feature correctly.

Isolated Tabs

What this means is that the download profile you’ve selected works only on the tab it’s used for. The download limit won’t be transferred to the other tabs you have opened. Each tab is isolated, which means that you will have to set every tab’s download speed manually before you start your downloads.

Don’t Quit DevTools

Remember to wait for the download to complete before exiting the DevTools pane. If you do it in the middle of the process, Chrome will revert to its original settings.

Also, you need to activate the custom download profile before you start a download. If you started the download already, you won’t be able to change the download profile.

Don’t Use the Default Profile

If you have already created two or more download profiles, don’t go back to the default Chrome profile settings. Switch between the profiles you’ve created to make sure that the download speed is always where you want it. If you switch to the default profile settings, the download speeds will go back to normal, and you won’t be able to do anything until the process is done.

Downloading from Multiple Sites

Since each download profile is tied to only one opened tab, it’s easy to download from different sites at different speeds. The DevTools have to stay open on every tab during each download, and you can open as many tabs as you want. Note that the combined download speed of all profiles can’t exceed the maximum available bandwidth of your internet connection.

Streaming Videos

If you want to stream videos with a download limit, make sure you have set the correct profile before you start streaming. Videos that won’t resize automatically won’t work with slow download speeds.

Take Control of Your Browser’s Download Speed

Many users have problems with bandwidth speeds, so knowing how to limit the download speed on Google Chrome can be very useful. All you have to do is to create download profiles and remember to turn them on before you start a download. The process may seem a little complicated at first, but you will get the hang of it after a few times.

Have you ever tried this method? Share your experiences with us in the comment section below.