FAQ about startup and performance

Launch

Yandex Browser won't start

Restart your computer to resolve temporary issues. If this doesn't help:

  • Your antivirus or firewall may be blocking Yandex Browser. Disable them temporarily to see if this resolves the issue.

  • Launch Yandex Browser in compatibility mode or as an administrator from the Start menu.

  • Start your computer in Safe Mode and then open Yandex Browser.

  • Save your important information and completely uninstall Yandex Browser. Then install it again.

If this didn't help, write to us.

Describe what is happening, step by step:

  • What happens when you try to open Yandex Browser (for example, you get an error message or the Yandex Browser window doesn't open correctly).

  • What happened before this issue started occurring (for example, did you update Yandex Browser or OS? Did you install a program or extension?).

  • How long you have been experiencing problems opening Yandex Browser.

If possible, include a screenshot.

Browser takes too long to start
Close tabs and applications

Close unused tabs, especially those running videos or complex web apps.

Disable the autorun of background programs you don't need and end processes in Yandex Browser's Task Manager:

  1. Press Shift + Esc (Windows) or ⌥ + ⌘ + Esc (macOS). Yandex Browser's Task Manager will open. It shows which tabs, extensions, and processes are using the most resources.

  2. Select the items consuming the most resources → End process.

This will free up system resources and help Yandex Browser start faster.

Clear data

  1. Click  → History → Clear history or press Ctrl + Shift + Del (on Windows) or Shift + ⌘ + Backspace (on macOS).

  2. In the Clear history window, select the period for which you want to delete data.

  3. Enable the desired options.

  4. Click Clear. This will reduce the load.

Turn off extensions

  1. Click  → Extensions and turn off all extensions.

  2. Restart Yandex Browser: close it by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Q (on Windows and Linux) or ⌘ + Q (on macOS), then open it again.

  3. If this solves your problem, go through your extensions and turn them back on until you find the one that causes the problem. Restart Yandex Browser every time.

  4. Disable this extension. You may want to let the developers know about the problem.

Update Yandex Browser

To find out what version of Yandex Browser you're using, click  → Help → About Yandex Browser or enter browser://help in the SmartBox.

If an update is available, install it and restart Yandex Browser.

Reset Yandex Browser settings

Use this method only as a last resort. To reset settings:

  1. Click  → Settings → System.

  2. Click Reset settings.

  3. Confirm the reset.

Disable autorun

By default, Yandex Browser launches automatically when Windows launches. To disable autostart:

  1. Click  → Settings → System.

  2. Go to Autorun and background mode and under Open Yandex Browser at Windows startup, select Never or If it was open at computer shutdown from the list.

Note

If you've disabled Yandex Browser autorun but its icon still appears in the Windows notification area, it means Yandex Browser starts in the background. To disable autostart in the background, disable operation in the background mode.

Performance

Browser freezes

Close unused tabs, especially those running videos or complex web apps. Check for Yandex Browser updates. Yandex Browser often freezes if there isn't enough RAM or if the version is outdated.

If the issue persists:

Turn off extensions

  1. Click  → Extensions and turn off all extensions.

  2. Restart Yandex Browser: close it by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Q (on Windows and Linux) or ⌘ + Q (on macOS), then open it again.

  3. If this solves your problem, go through your extensions and turn them back on until you find the one that causes the problem. Restart Yandex Browser every time.

  4. Disable this extension. You may want to let the developers know about the problem.

Clear data

  1. Click  → History → Clear history or press Ctrl + Shift + Del (on Windows) or Shift + ⌘ + Backspace (on macOS).

  2. In the Clear history window, select the period for which you want to delete data.

  3. Enable the desired options.

  4. Click Clear. This will reduce the load.

Reset Yandex Browser settings

Use this method only as a last resort. To reset settings:

  1. Click  → Settings → System.

  2. Click Reset settings.

  3. Confirm the reset.

This will bring your browser back to its default state. You'll keep your key data: bookmarks and passwords. Any setting conflicts will be resolved.

Reinstall Yandex Browser

Reinstall Yandex Browser after saving your important data.

If this doesn't help, contact support using this form and include the following information:

  • What actions cause the browser to freeze?

  • Does the problem occur on all pages or only specific ones (please list them)?

  • Record net-export logs by following these instructions, upload them to any cloud storage, and attach a link to the file in the message.

If you have problems opening pages, include the error text in your message.

Browser is slow
Clear data

  1. Click  → History → Clear history or press Ctrl + Shift + Del (on Windows) or Shift + ⌘ + Backspace (on macOS).

  2. In the Clear history window, select the period for which you want to delete data.

  3. Enable the desired options.

  4. Click Clear. This will reduce the load.

Turn off extensions

  1. Click  → Extensions and turn off all extensions.

  2. Restart Yandex Browser: close it by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Q (on Windows and Linux) or ⌘ + Q (on macOS), then open it again.

  3. If this solves your problem, go through your extensions and turn them back on until you find the one that causes the problem. Restart Yandex Browser every time.

  4. Disable this extension. You may want to let the developers know about the problem.

Update Yandex Browser

To find out what version of Yandex Browser you're using, click  → Help → About Yandex Browser or enter browser://help in the SmartBox.

If an update is available, install it and restart Yandex Browser.

End processes in the Task Manager

  1. Press Shift + Esc (Windows) or ⌥ + ⌘ + Esc (macOS). Yandex Browser's Task Manager will open. It shows which tabs, extensions, and processes are using the most resources.

  2. Select the items consuming the most resources → End process.

Reset Yandex Browser settings

Use this method only as a last resort. To reset settings:

  1. Click  → Settings → System.

  2. Click Reset settings.

  3. Confirm the reset.

This will bring your browser back to its default state. You'll keep your key data: bookmarks and passwords. Any setting conflicts will be resolved.

Browser uses too much memory
Close tabs

Close unused tabs, especially those running videos or complex web apps.

Turn off extensions

To check how much memory extensions use:

  1. Click  → Extensions and turn off extensions one by one.

  2. Press Shift + Esc (on Windows) or ⌥ + ⌘ + Esc (on macOS). Yandex Browser's Task Manager will open. Check the memory usage in the Task Manager as you turn off each extension.

Clear data

  1. Click  → History → Clear history or press Ctrl + Shift + Del (on Windows) or Shift + ⌘ + Backspace (on macOS).

  2. In the Clear history window, select the period for which you want to delete data.

  3. Enable the desired options.

  4. Click Clear. This will reduce the load.

Enable power saving mode

Power saving mode automatically discards inactive tabs from memory. To enable power saving mode:

  1. To the right of the SmartBox, click Заряд батареи.

  2. In the window that opens, enable Power saving.

Browser launches a lot of processes
End processes in the Task Manager

  1. Press Shift + Esc (Windows) or ⌥ + ⌘ + Esc (macOS). Yandex Browser's Task Manager will open. It shows which tabs, extensions, and processes are using the most memory.

  2. Select the items consuming the most memory → End process.

Turn off extensions

Unused or suspicious extensions often create unnecessary background processes. Here's how you can check your installed extensions:

  1. Click  → Extensions and turn off all extensions.

  2. Restart Yandex Browser: close it by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Q (on Windows and Linux) or ⌘ + Q (on macOS), then open it again.

  3. If this solves your problem, go through your extensions and turn them back on until you find the one that causes the problem. Restart Yandex Browser every time.

  4. Disable this extension. You may want to let the developers know about the problem.

Prevent Yandex Browser from running in the background

To prevent Yandex Browser from running in the background after you close it:

  1. Click  → Settings → System.

  2. Under Background mode, deselect Show the Yandex Browser icon in the tray and allow Yandex Browser to run in the background.

Contact support

You can enter search queries in the address bar and Yandex Browser will understand what you need.