What hardware acceleration does and why you might disable it

Hardware acceleration lets your graphics card handle visual tasks instead of your processor, which usually makes video, animations, and scrolling smoother. But it can also cause flickering, crashes, or black screens — especially on older graphics cards, outdated drivers, or certain websites. Disabling it trades some smoothness for stability.

You will not lose the ability to watch videos or use your computer normally. You will just see slightly more lag during fast scrolling or when playing graphics-heavy games. For most everyday tasks like email, documents, and web browsing, the difference is invisible.

Hardware acceleration lives in different places depending on what you are using. Your web browser has its own setting. Your operating system has another. Some individual apps have their own toggle too. You may need to turn it off in one place, several places, or all of them depending on where the problem is happening.

Key Takeaways

  • Hardware acceleration is usually found in browser settings under "Advanced" or "System", not in the main preferences menu.
  • Disabling it in your browser does not affect other apps, and disabling it system-wide does not affect individual browser settings.
  • You may need to close and reopen your browser or restart your computer for the change to take effect.
  • If disabling it does not fix your problem, the issue is likely something else — try updating your graphics drivers first.

Disable hardware acceleration in Chrome

Open Chrome and click the three-line menu in the top right corner. Select Settings, then click Advanced on the left side. Under the System section, you will see a toggle for Use hardware acceleration. Click it to turn it off.

Chrome will ask you to relaunch the browser. Click Relaunch and wait for it to restart. The change takes effect immediately after restart. If you change your mind, the same toggle turns it back on.

Disable hardware acceleration in Firefox

Open Firefox and click the three-line menu in the top right. Select Settings, then click General on the left. Scroll down to the Performance section. You will see a checkbox labeled Use recommended performance settings — uncheck it. Below that, uncheck Use hardware acceleration when available.

Firefox applies the change without restarting, though closing and reopening the browser ensures it takes full effect. The setting stays off until you check the box again.

Disable hardware acceleration in Safari

Open Safari and click Safari in the top menu bar. Select Settings (or Preferences on older macOS versions). Click the Advanced tab. At the bottom, uncheck Use GPU rendering when available.

Close the settings window and restart Safari. The change applies immediately. Safari does not have a system-wide hardware acceleration setting separate from the browser — this toggle controls it for the entire app.

Disable hardware acceleration in Edge

Open Microsoft Edge and click the three-dot menu in the top right. Select Settings, then click System on the left side. Toggle off Use hardware acceleration. Edge will prompt you to restart the browser. Click the restart button and wait for it to reopen.

Edge syncs this setting across devices if you are signed into your Microsoft account, so disabling it on one computer may disable it on others. You can turn this sync off in Settings under Profiles if you want different settings on different machines.

Disable hardware acceleration at the system level on Windows

Right-click on your desktop and select Display settings. Scroll down and click Advanced display settings. At the bottom, click Display adapter properties. Click the Troubleshoot tab. You will see a slider labeled Hardware Acceleration — drag it all the way to the left to turn it off.

Windows will ask you to confirm the change. Click Apply and then OK. You do not need to restart, but some apps may need to be closed and reopened for the change to take effect. This setting affects your entire computer, not just your browser.

Disable hardware acceleration at the system level on Mac

macOS does not have a single system-wide hardware acceleration toggle the way Windows does. Instead, you disable it in individual apps. For most Mac users, turning it off in Safari, Chrome, or Firefox is enough. If you are having problems with a specific app, open that app's preferences and look for a graphics or performance section.

If you are using an older Mac with an Intel processor and an integrated graphics card, updating to the latest macOS version sometimes fixes hardware acceleration problems without needing to disable it. Check System Settings > General > Software Update to see if an update is available.

What to try if disabling hardware acceleration does not fix the problem

If you still see flickering, black screens, or crashes after turning off hardware acceleration, the issue is usually something else. Update your graphics drivers first — this fixes most display problems. On Windows, right-click the Start menu and select Device Manager. Find Display adapters, right-click your graphics card, and select Update driver. On Mac, go to System Settings > General > Software Update.

If updating drivers does not help, try clearing your browser cache and cookies. In Chrome, press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Windows) or Command+Shift+Delete (Mac). Select All time and check both Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. Click Clear data. Restart your browser and test again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will disabling hardware acceleration make my computer slower?

It may make scrolling and video playback slightly less smooth, but most people do not notice the difference during everyday tasks. If you are playing games or editing video, you might see more lag. For regular web browsing and office work, the slowdown is usually invisible.

Do I need to disable hardware acceleration in both my browser and Windows?

No. Disabling it in your browser only affects that browser. Disabling it in Windows affects your whole computer. Start with your browser first — that fixes most problems. Only disable it system-wide if the browser setting does not solve the issue.

Can I turn hardware acceleration back on if I change my mind?

Yes. Go back to the same setting and toggle it on. The change takes effect immediately or after a restart, depending on the app. There is no penalty for turning it on and off — you can experiment to see what works best.

Why does hardware acceleration cause problems on some computers but not others?

Older graphics cards, outdated drivers, and certain combinations of hardware and software can conflict with hardware acceleration. Newer computers with current drivers usually have no problems. If your computer is more than five years old and you are seeing display issues, disabling hardware acceleration often helps.

Should I disable hardware acceleration if I am not having any problems?

No. Leave it on. Hardware acceleration improves performance for most people. Only turn it off if you are experiencing crashes, flickering, or black screens. Disabling it when you do not need to just makes your computer work harder for no reason.