Google Chrome Helper (Renderer) high CPU usage on Mac: how to fix

Mac users for whom Chrome is the daily driver may have noticed a process named Google Chrome Helper swamping the CPU and memory periodically

Update: Mar 9, 2025

What is the Google Chrome Helper CPU overuse bug on Mac?

It makes perfect sense to frame Google Chrome as a heavyweight in the web browser arena. In fact, it is statistically the most popular software of its kind regardless of operating system as of 2025. The root causes for this consistent, undisputed domination are clear: it’s fast, secure, flexible, and well-maintained. Let me add a fly in the ointment here. Chrome is a far cry from being perfect. One of its most annoying hiccups and problems across the macOS environment is the occasional CPU and memory overuse, and in most scenarios the catalyst of these spikes is a process reflected in the Activity Monitor as Google Chrome Helper or Google Chrome Helper (Renderer).

Not only is this drag obnoxious enough to ruin the user experience with this otherwise terrific browser, but it can also make the Mac awfully sluggish and noisy. That’s what happens when a couple of processes monopolize the machine’s processing capacity all of a sudden and there isn’t enough for all the rest. That being said, let’s get to the bottom of this bug and see how to take care of it.

First things first, neither Google Chrome Helper nor its counterpart Google Chrome Helper (Renderer) is malicious. The former is a generic name for a set of auxiliary processes that the browser in question uses to handle tasks outside its core web navigation functions. When you open a web page, Chrome doesn’t manage everything within a single process. The “everything” part refers to third-party plugins, extensions, or various types of embedded content. Instead, it delegates these tasks to separate helper processes to keep stability, performance, and security at a proper level. This is a manifestation of Chrome’s multi-process architecture that removes a “single point of failure” situation from the equation. In other words, this approach ensures that if a plugin or tab crashes, it doesn’t knock down the entire browser. Extensions that run in the background, such as ad blockers or password managers, also rely on these helper executables to do their thing.

Google Chrome Helper (Renderer), in its turn, is responsible for displaying web content, such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and media, within individual tabs or windows. In case you didn’t know, each tab in Chrome typically runs as a standalone process isolated from others. This “sandboxing” principle prevents a buggy web page from crashing all the open tabs and enhances security by limiting the damage that potential malware could cause. The “renderer” label means the item focuses on the heavy lifting of turning code into visuals you see on the screen.

As counterintuitive as it may sound, these intrinsically useful processes can backfire on a Mac’s productivity instead of optimizing the browser’s work and thereby limiting the performance hit system-wide. Now let’s look at the common triggers for excessive CPU and memory consumption by these entities on a Mac.

Possible causes for the Google Chrome Helper (Renderer) issue

The issue often kicks in when too many tabs are loaded. As previously mentioned, this condition spawns multiple instances of the Google Chrome Helper (Renderer) process, and at some point, their cumulative usage of the computer’s resources skyrockets. This outcome is particularly likely if dozens of tabs are open at the same time. A similar predicament occurs when several resource-intensive extensions are running concurrently. And if both tabs and extensions are excessive, the situation develops into a cascading effect that depletes the processing power under the Mac’s hood.

Inadequately optimized web content is another likely culprit. Some websites include heavy JavaScript, redundant animations, or videos that play automatically without user action. In this case, the Renderer process works overtime to keep up with the content, which cranks up CPU usage. To top it off, even if a tab isn’t active, extensions or pages with background scripts may keep their helper processes running.

An outdated version of Chrome might be to blame as well, because it can handle helper items inefficiently. Bugs or macOS compatibility issues can throw another spanner in the works, especially after a system update. One more factor that exacerbates the problem is a malfunctioning hardware acceleration, which Chrome uses to offload rendering tasks to the Mac’s GPU.

First steps to diagnose and fix Google Chrome Helper CPU depletion

The response to these scenarios is a trial-and-error type of thing. For a start, I recommend entry-level techniques like closing unnecessary tabs and checking for a browser update. If none of this addresses the issue, proceed to the steps below.

1. Tidy up your Chrome extensions

• Open the Customize and control Google Chrome drop-down menu, click on Extensions, and select Manage Extensions as illustrated in the screenshot.

• Look over the list of your installed extensions, and if there are ones that you no longer need, get rid of them by clicking the Remove button next to them.

• Restart Chrome and see if this has fixed the bug.

2. Turn off graphics acceleration

• Select Settings in the Customize and Control Google Chrome menu.

• Click on System in the sidebar and switch the “Use graphics acceleration when available” toggle to an Off position. Click the Relaunch button so that the change takes effect.

If the steps above haven’t yielded the right results, it’s a good idea to look at this problem at a security angle. Some strains of Mac malware are notoriously resource-heavy, and if one of these has cropped up on your machine, it might make helper processes in Chrome go haywire. For instance, cryptocurrency mining scripts can easily push these processes into hyperdrive. Aggressive ads triggered by Mac adware often bring about a similar effect. Situations vary, but it’s best to err on the side of caution and check the system for malicious code.

Manual removal of Google Chrome Helper (Renderer) high CPU virus

The steps listed below will walk you through the removal of this malicious application. Be sure to follow the instructions in the specified order.

1. Expand the Go menu in your Mac’s Finder bar and select Utilities as shown below.

2. Locate the Activity Monitor icon on the Utilities screen and double-click on it.

3. In the Activity Monitor app, look for Google Chrome Helper, Google Chrome Helper (Renderer), Google Chrome Helper (Plugin), Google Chrome Helper (GPU), or another process that appears suspicious. To narrow down your search, focus on unfamiliar resource-intensive entries on the list. Keep in mind that its name isn’t necessarily related to the way the threat is manifesting itself, so you’ll need to trust your own judgement. If you pinpoint the culprit, select it and click on the Stop icon in the upper left-hand corner of the screen.

4. When a follow-up dialog pops up asking if you are sure you want to quit the troublemaking process, select the Force Quit option.

   

5. Click on the Go menu icon in the Finder again and select Go to Folder. You can as well use the Command-Shift-G keyboard shortcut.

   

6. Type /Library/LaunchAgents in the folder search dialog and click on the Go button.

   

7. Examine the contents of the LaunchAgents folder for dubious-looking items. Be advised that the names of files spawned by malware may give no clear clues that they are malicious, so you should look for recently added entities that appear to deviate from the norm.

   As an illustration, here are several examples of LaunchAgents related to mainstream Mac infections: com.pcv.hlpramc.plist, com.updater.mcy.plist, com.avickUpd.plist, and com.msp.agent.plist. If you spot files that don’t belong on the list, go ahead and drag them to the Trash.

   

8. Use the Go to Folder lookup feature again to navigate to the folder named ~/Library/Application Support (note the tilde symbol prepended to the path).

   

9. When the Application Support directory is opened, identify recently generated suspicious folders in it and send them to the Trash. A quick tip is to look for items whose names have nothing to do with Apple products or apps you knowingly installed. A few examples of known-malicious folder names are UtilityParze, LinkBranch, SystemSpecial, and IdeaShared.

   10. Enter ~/Library/LaunchAgents string (don’t forget to include the tilde character) in the Go to Folder search area.

   

   11. The system will display LaunchAgents residing in the current user’s Home directory. Look for dodgy items related to rogue mds_stores process (see logic highlighted in subsections above) and drag the suspects to the Trash.
   12. Type /Library/LaunchDaemons in the Go to Folder search field.

   

   13. In the LaunchDaemons path, try to pinpoint the files the malware is using for persistence. Several examples of such items cropped by Mac infections are com.pplauncher.plist, com.startup.plist, and com.ExpertModuleSearchDaemon.plist. Delete the sketchy files immediately.

   

   14. Click on the Go menu icon in your Mac’s Finder and select Applications on the list.

   

   15. Find the entry for an app that clearly doesn’t belong there and move it to the Trash. If this action requires your admin password for confirmation, go ahead and enter it.
   16. Expand the Apple menu and select System Preferences.
   17. Proceed to Users & Groups and click on the Login Items tab.The system will display the list of items launched when the computer is starting up. Locate the potentially unwanted app there and click on the “-” (minus) button.
   18. Now select Profiles under System Preferences. Look for a malicious item in the left-hand sidebar. Several examples of configuration profiles created by Mac adware include TechSignalSearch, MainSearchPlatform, AdminPrefs, and Chrome Settings. Select the offending entity and click on the minus sign at the bottom to eliminate it.

   If your Mac has been infiltrated by adware, the infection will most likely continue to hold sway over your default web browser even after you remove the underlying application along with its components sprinkled around the system. Use the browser cleanup instructions below to address the remaining consequences of this attack.

Get rid of resource-intensive malware in web browser on Mac

To begin with, the web browser settings taken over by the virus exploiting Google Chrome Helper (Rende process should be restored to their default values. Although this will clear most of your customizations, web surfing history, and all temporary data stored by websites, the malicious interference should be terminated likewise. The overview of the steps for completing this procedure is as follows:

Reset Google Chrome

• Open Chrome, click the Customize and control Google Chrome (⁝) icon in the top right-hand part of the window, and select Settings in the drop-down
• When on the Settings pane, select Advanced
• Scroll down to the Reset settings section.
• Confirm the Chrome reset on a dialog that will pop up. When the procedure is completed, relaunch the browser and check it for malware activity.

Fix Google Chrome Helper (Renderer) Mac issues using Combo Cleaner removal tool

The Mac maintenance and security app called Combo Cleaner is a one-stop tool to detect and remove Google Chrome Helper (Renderer) high CPU virus. This technique has substantial benefits over manual cleanup, because the utility gets hourly virus definition updates and can accurately spot even the newest Mac infections.

Furthermore, the automatic solution will find the core files of the malware deep down the system structure, which might otherwise be a challenge to locate. Here’s a walkthrough to sort out the Google Chrome Helper (Renderer) high CPU issue using Combo Cleaner:

1. Download Combo Cleaner installer. When done, double-click the combocleaner.dmg file and follow the prompts to install the tool onto your Mac.

   Download Combo Cleaner

   By downloading any applications recommended on this website you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. The free scanner checks whether your Mac is infected. To get rid of malware, you need to purchase the Premium version of Combo Cleaner.

2. Open the app from your Launchpad and let it run an update of the malware signature database to make sure it can identify the latest threats.

3. Click the Start Combo Scan button to check your Mac for malicious activity as well as performance issues.

   

4. Examine the scan results. If the report says “No Threats”, then you are on the right track with the manual cleaning and can safely proceed to tidy up the web browser that may continue to act up due to the after-effects of the malware attack (see instructions above).

   

5. In case Combo Cleaner has detected malicious code, click the Remove Selected Items button and have the utility remove Google Chrome Helper (Renderer) high CPU threat along with any other viruses, PUPs (potentially unwanted programs), or junk files that don’t belong on your Mac.

   

6. Once you have made doubly sure that the malicious app is uninstalled, the browser-level troubleshooting might still be on your to-do list. If your preferred browser is affected, resort to the previous section of this tutorial to revert to hassle-free web surfing.