How to Fix Grammarly Extension Crashing in Chrome?

You are typing an important email, a college essay, or a work report in Chrome, and suddenly Grammarly stops responding. The icon goes gray, the suggestions disappear, or Chrome itself freezes. It is frustrating, especially when you rely on Grammarly every single day.

The good news is that this problem is very common and almost always fixable. Whether your Grammarly extension keeps crashing, freezing, or simply refuses to load, there is a solution that works.

This guide walks you through every proven fix, from the simplest one-click solutions to the more detailed troubleshooting steps.

You do not need to be a tech expert to follow these steps. Each fix is explained clearly, and by the end of this post, your Grammarly extension will likely be running smoothly again in Chrome.

Key Takeaways

• The most common causes of Grammarly crashing in Chrome include an outdated extension, browser cache buildup, conflicting extensions, corrupted Chrome profiles, and hardware acceleration issues. Identifying the root cause first saves you a lot of time.
• Updating the Grammarly extension is the first step you should always try, since an outdated version is the number one reason the extension behaves unpredictably or crashes without warning.
• Clearing Chrome’s cache and cookies removes corrupt temporary files that can block Grammarly from loading properly. This single step resolves the issue for a large number of users, and it takes less than two minutes.
• Other Chrome extensions can interfere with Grammarly. Ad blockers, privacy tools, and script blockers are the most common culprits. Disabling other extensions one at a time helps you find which one is causing the conflict.
• Disabling hardware acceleration in Chrome is a powerful fix that many users overlook. When Chrome uses your GPU too aggressively, it can cause extensions like Grammarly to crash unexpectedly, and turning this feature off often resolves the issue instantly.
• Reinstalling Grammarly completely gives you a clean slate. If nothing else works, removing the extension, restarting Chrome, and installing a fresh copy from the Chrome Web Store almost always solves persistent crashing problems for good.

Why Does the Grammarly Extension Crash in Chrome?

Before jumping into the fixes, it helps to understand what causes the Grammarly extension to crash in Chrome. The extension works by actively reading the text fields on web pages and running it through Grammarly’s grammar and style engine. This process requires stable communication between the extension, Chrome, and the websites you visit.

When something disrupts that communication, the extension can freeze, become unresponsive, or crash entirely. The most common causes include an outdated version of the Grammarly extension, a buildup of cached data in Chrome, another extension conflicting with Grammarly, a corrupted Chrome user profile, Chrome’s hardware acceleration feature consuming too many system resources, and Chrome itself being out of date.

Understanding these causes gives you a clear roadmap for troubleshooting. You will not be guessing randomly. Instead, you will work through each potential cause systematically until you find the one that fixes your specific problem. Most users find a solution within the first three or four steps below.

Fix 1: Restart Chrome and Try Again

The simplest fix is always the first one you should try. Restarting Chrome closes all background processes, clears temporary memory, and gives every extension, including Grammarly, a completely fresh start.

Do not just close and reopen Chrome the regular way. Many users close the window but leave Chrome running in the background. To do a proper restart, click the three dots in the top right corner of Chrome, then select Exit.

This closes Chrome completely. On Windows, you can also press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, find all Chrome processes, and end them before reopening the browser.

After restarting Chrome, visit a page where you normally type, like Gmail or Google Docs, and check if Grammarly is working again. If the Grammarly icon in your toolbar is green and showing suggestions, you are done.

If it is still gray or unresponsive, move on to the next fix. This step takes under a minute and resolves temporary glitches caused by memory overload or background process conflicts.

Fix 2: Update the Grammarly Extension to the Latest Version

An outdated Grammarly extension is one of the most frequent causes of crashes in Chrome. Grammarly regularly releases updates to fix bugs, patch security issues, and ensure compatibility with the latest version of Chrome. If your extension has not updated recently, it may behave unpredictably.

Chrome usually updates extensions automatically, but sometimes that process gets stuck. You can force a manual update in just a few steps.

First, type chrome://extensions into your Chrome address bar and press Enter. You will see a list of all installed extensions. In the top right corner of the page, you will see a toggle labeled Developer mode. Turn it on. Once it is enabled, a new button labeled Update will appear at the top of the page. Click that button.

Chrome will now check for updates for all your installed extensions and install any available updates. After the update finishes, turn Developer mode back off and restart Chrome completely. Go back to a text field and test whether Grammarly is working. Keeping the extension updated is also the best way to prevent future crashes, so it is a good habit to check for updates occasionally.

Fix 3: Check That Grammarly Is Enabled in Chrome

Sometimes the extension is installed but not actually turned on. This sounds obvious, but it is a surprisingly common issue, especially after a Chrome update or a system restart, which can occasionally toggle extensions off.

Go to chrome://extensions in your Chrome address bar. Scroll through the list until you find Grammarly: AI Writing Assistant. Make sure the blue toggle switch next to it is turned on. If the toggle is gray, the extension is disabled. Simply click the toggle to enable it again.

You should also check whether Grammarly is set to work on the specific websites you use. Click the Details button under the Grammarly extension. Look for the section that says Site access and make sure it is set to On all sites or that your specific site is included. If Grammarly is blocked from running on certain websites, it will appear to crash or simply not show up when you visit those pages. Enabling site access fixes this issue immediately.

Fix 4: Clear Chrome’s Cache and Cookies

Cached data is Chrome’s way of saving information to load websites faster. Over time, however, cached files can become corrupted or outdated. When that happens, they can block extensions like Grammarly from working properly, causing freezes, crashes, or missing suggestions.

Clearing the cache is one of the most effective fixes for extension-related issues in Chrome. Here is exactly how to do it.

Type chrome://settings/clearBrowserData into your Chrome address bar and press Enter. A dialog box will open. Set the Time range dropdown to All time. Check the boxes next to Cached images and files and Cookies and other site data. Then click the blue Clear data button.

Be aware that clearing cookies will sign you out of most websites, including Grammarly itself. You will need to sign back in after completing this step. After clearing the cache, close Chrome completely, reopen it, and sign back into your Grammarly account. Test the extension on a page where you normally write. Most users who try this step find that Grammarly starts working immediately after the cache is cleared.

Fix 5: Disable Other Chrome Extensions to Find Conflicts

Chrome extensions are powerful, but they can sometimes interfere with each other. Ad blockers, privacy extensions, script managers, and VPN extensions are particularly known for causing conflicts with Grammarly. When two extensions try to access the same web page element at the same time, the result can be a crash or a freeze.

The best way to test for extension conflicts is to disable all other extensions temporarily and see if Grammarly works when it is the only extension running.

Go to chrome://extensions and toggle off every extension except Grammarly. Restart Chrome and test Grammarly. If it works correctly now, you know another extension was causing the conflict. Turn your other extensions back on one at a time, testing Grammarly after each one. When Grammarly stops working again, you have found the conflicting extension.

Common conflicting extensions include uBlock Origin, Ghostery, Privacy Badger, and some VPN extensions. Once you identify the conflict, you can either keep the conflicting extension disabled, look for a setting within it that stops it from interfering with Grammarly, or report the conflict to Grammarly’s support team so they can work on a fix.

Fix 6: Disable Hardware Acceleration in Chrome

Hardware acceleration is a Chrome feature that uses your computer’s GPU to handle graphic tasks, which normally makes Chrome run faster. However, on some systems, this feature causes memory conflicts that lead to extension crashes, including Grammarly crashes.

This fix is especially useful if Grammarly crashes frequently on pages with a lot of visual content or when Chrome is using a lot of memory.

To disable hardware acceleration, click the three dots in the top right corner of Chrome and select Settings. In the left menu, click System. You will see an option that says Use hardware acceleration when available. Toggle this option off. Chrome will ask you to relaunch the browser. Click Relaunch.

After Chrome restarts, open a page where you normally use Grammarly and check if the crashing has stopped. Many users report that this single change completely resolves persistent Grammarly crashes, especially on older computers or machines with limited GPU memory. If Grammarly works fine after this change, keep hardware acceleration off. The impact on everyday browsing is usually minimal.

Fix 7: Update Google Chrome to the Latest Version

Grammarly’s extension is built to work with the latest version of Chrome. If your browser is outdated, the extension may behave unexpectedly or crash due to compatibility issues between old Chrome APIs and Grammarly’s newer code.

Updating Chrome is straightforward. Click the three dots in the top right corner and hover over Help. Then click About Google Chrome. Chrome will automatically check for updates and install any that are available. If an update is found, Chrome will download and install it in the background. You will see a button to Relaunch Chrome to complete the update.

After relaunching, go back to chrome://extensions and make sure Grammarly is still enabled. Sometimes updates reset extension permissions. Test Grammarly on your usual writing pages. Keeping Chrome updated is also important for security and overall browser stability, so this is a step worth doing regularly regardless of whether it fixes the Grammarly issue.

Fix 8: Reinstall the Grammarly Extension Completely

If updating and enabling Grammarly has not worked, the extension’s installation files may be corrupted. A clean reinstall removes any corrupted data and starts fresh with a new copy of the extension.

Here is how to remove and reinstall Grammarly in Chrome. First, go to chrome://extensions and find Grammarly. Click the Remove button below the extension. A small popup will ask you to confirm. Click Remove again. The extension is now completely uninstalled from Chrome.

Close Chrome and wait about 30 seconds before reopening it. This gives Chrome time to clear any remaining data related to the extension. Now open the Chrome Web Store by searching for it in Google or typing chromewebstore.google.com in the address bar. Search for Grammarly: AI Writing Assistant and click Add to Chrome. Follow the prompts to install it. Once installed, click the Grammarly icon in your toolbar, sign in to your account, and test it on a writing page. A clean reinstall resolves most persistent crashing issues.

Fix 9: Create a New Chrome User Profile

A corrupted Chrome user profile can cause all kinds of strange issues, including extensions that crash consistently. If Grammarly crashes on your profile but works fine in an Incognito window, a corrupted profile is likely the cause.

To test this, open Chrome and press Ctrl + Shift + N to open an Incognito window. Note that Grammarly will not run in Incognito by default. To test it there, go to chrome://extensions, click Details under Grammarly, and enable Allow in Incognito. Now open an Incognito window and test Grammarly. If it works in Incognito but not in your regular window, your profile may be corrupted.

To create a new Chrome profile, click your profile picture in the top right corner of Chrome. Click Add. Follow the steps to create a new profile. Sign in with your Google account and reinstall the Grammarly extension on the new profile. If Grammarly works correctly on the new profile, the old one was corrupted. You can gradually move your bookmarks and saved data to the new profile.

Fix 10: Check for Conflicting Antivirus or Security Software

Antivirus programs and internet security software sometimes flag browser extensions as potentially suspicious and block them from running. This can cause Grammarly to freeze, crash, or not load at all, even though the extension is completely safe to use.

Check your antivirus software’s settings and look for any browser protection or web shield features. Some antivirus programs allow you to add exceptions for specific extensions or domains. Add Grammarly and grammarly.com to your antivirus’s safe list or whitelist.

Common antivirus programs known to interfere with browser extensions include Kaspersky, Bitdefender, Norton, and AVG. Each of these has a web protection module that can block certain extension behaviors. Temporarily disabling your antivirus for a few minutes to test whether Grammarly works can quickly confirm if this is the cause.

If Grammarly works with the antivirus disabled, look for the specific setting within your antivirus software that is causing the block and adjust it, rather than leaving your antivirus fully disabled.

Fix 11: Reset Chrome Settings to Default

If you have tried everything above and Grammarly is still crashing, resetting Chrome to its default settings can fix deeply buried configuration problems that are hard to identify manually. A reset removes all custom settings, disables all extensions, and clears startup pages, but it does not delete your bookmarks, passwords, or history.

To reset Chrome, click the three dots in the top right corner and go to Settings. Scroll down and click Reset settings. Then click Restore settings to their original defaults. Read the information in the popup and click Reset settings to confirm.

After the reset, Chrome will restart with factory settings. Reinstall the Grammarly extension from the Chrome Web Store and sign in. Test whether Grammarly is now stable. A Chrome reset is particularly effective when the crashing is caused by a misconfigured setting or a change made by another extension that corrupted Chrome’s internal configuration.

Fix 12: Check if Grammarly’s Servers Are Down

Sometimes the issue is not on your end at all. Grammarly relies on its own servers to process grammar checks and deliver suggestions. If those servers are experiencing downtime or technical difficulties, the extension may behave as if it is crashing even though your Chrome setup is perfectly fine.

You can check Grammarly’s server status by searching for Grammarly status page or visiting status.grammarly.com. This page shows real-time information about whether Grammarly’s systems are running normally. If there is an ongoing outage, the only thing you can do is wait for Grammarly’s team to resolve it.

Server outages are usually fixed within a few hours. You can also check Grammarly’s official social media channels, like X (formerly Twitter), for announcements about known issues. If the status page shows all systems are operational but you are still having problems, the issue is local to your browser or system, and the other fixes in this guide will help you resolve it.

Fix 13: Check Chrome’s Memory and Resource Usage

Grammarly can cause high CPU usage and high memory usage in some situations, especially on pages with large text editors or complex JavaScript. When Chrome runs low on memory, it may kill extension processes to free up resources, which shows up as a Grammarly crash.

To check how Chrome is using resources, press Shift + Esc while Chrome is open to launch Chrome’s built-in Task Manager. This shows you every tab and extension and how much CPU and memory each one is using. If you see Grammarly using an unusually high amount of CPU or memory, try closing other tabs or disabling other resource-heavy extensions.

You can also add more physical RAM to your computer if it is consistently running low, but a more practical short-term solution is to limit how many tabs you have open at once. Chrome allocates resources per tab, and having 20+ tabs open while running Grammarly can easily exceed what your system can handle. Keeping your tab count under 10 while writing is a simple habit that prevents many extension-related crashes.

Fix 14: Contact Grammarly Support

If you have worked through all the fixes above and Grammarly is still crashing in Chrome, it is time to reach out to Grammarly’s support team directly. This is especially useful if the crashing started after a specific Chrome or Grammarly update, which may point to a known bug that Grammarly is already working to fix.

You can contact Grammarly’s support team at support.grammarly.com. Click the Submit a request button and describe your issue in detail. Include your operating system, your Chrome version, your Grammarly extension version, and a description of exactly when and how the crash happens. The more specific you are, the faster the support team can help you.

Grammarly’s support team typically responds within 24 to 48 hours. When you contact them, it also helps to include any error messages you see and a list of the fixes you have already tried. This shows the support team that you have done basic troubleshooting and helps them skip straight to more advanced solutions or escalate the issue to their engineering team if needed.

How to Prevent the Grammarly Extension From Crashing in the Future

Fixing the current crash is important, but preventing it from happening again is equally valuable. A few simple habits can keep Grammarly running smoothly in Chrome for a long time.

Keep Chrome and Grammarly updated at all times. Chrome updates automatically by default, but restarting Chrome regularly ensures those updates are applied. You can manually force extension updates through chrome://extensions using Developer mode as described earlier in this guide.

Clear your Chrome cache at least once a month. Cached data builds up quickly, and regular cleaning prevents the kinds of data corruption that cause extension crashes. You can set a reminder on your phone or calendar to do this.

Avoid installing too many Chrome extensions. Every extension you add increases the chance of conflicts and increases Chrome’s memory usage. Keep only the extensions you actively use and remove the rest. Audit your extension list every few months and remove anything you no longer need.

Finally, avoid running Chrome with a very large number of open tabs, especially if you are working on a computer with 4GB of RAM or less. More tabs mean less available memory for extensions like Grammarly to function correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Grammarly keep crashing in Chrome?

Grammarly crashes in Chrome for several reasons, including an outdated extension version, corrupted browser cache, conflicts with other installed extensions, low system memory, hardware acceleration issues, or problems with Chrome’s user profile. The most common cause is an outdated extension or a buildup of corrupted cached data. Working through the fixes in this guide in order will help you find and resolve the specific cause on your system.

Does clearing Chrome’s cache delete my Grammarly settings?

Clearing Chrome’s cache does not delete your Grammarly account settings or preferences, since those are stored on Grammarly’s servers tied to your account. However, clearing cookies will sign you out of Grammarly and other websites, so you will need to log back in to your Grammarly account after completing this step. Your personalized dictionary and writing goals are saved to your account and will still be there after you log back in.

Why is Grammarly not showing up in Google Docs after a Chrome update?

Grammarly sometimes stops appearing in Google Docs after a Chrome update due to permission changes or extension conflicts introduced by the update. First, go to chrome://extensions and make sure Grammarly is still enabled and has permission to run on all sites. Then clear your Chrome cache and restart the browser. If it still does not appear in Google Docs, try reinstalling the Grammarly extension using the steps in Fix 8 of this guide.

Is it safe to reinstall the Grammarly extension?

Yes, reinstalling the Grammarly extension is completely safe. Removing the extension from Chrome only removes the local installation files. All your Grammarly account data, including your subscription, personalized dictionary, writing style preferences, and history, is stored on Grammarly’s servers. Once you reinstall the extension and log back in, everything will be exactly as it was before.

Can other Chrome extensions cause Grammarly to crash?

Yes, other extensions can absolutely cause Grammarly to crash. Ad blockers, script blockers, VPN extensions, and privacy tools are the most frequent offenders. These extensions sometimes block the scripts Grammarly needs to run, which causes it to freeze or crash on certain pages. To identify a conflicting extension, disable all your other extensions and re-enable them one at a time while testing Grammarly after each one, as described in Fix 5 of this guide.

Why does Grammarly crash only on some websites and not others?

Grammarly may crash on specific websites because of the way those websites are built. Some websites use frameworks or content editors that are not fully compatible with Grammarly. iFrames, custom text editors, and websites with strict Content Security Policies can prevent Grammarly from running correctly. You can check if Grammarly officially supports a specific website by visiting Grammarly’s support page and searching for the website name. For unsupported sites, using Grammarly’s desktop app is often a better option.

What should I do if none of the fixes in this guide work?

If none of the fixes in this guide resolve the Grammarly crashing issue, contact Grammarly’s support team directly at support.grammarly.com. Provide your Chrome version, your operating system, the Grammarly extension version, and a detailed description of when the crash occurs. Also, try using Grammarly’s desktop app for Windows or Mac as an alternative while the issue is being resolved, since it works independently of Chrome and does not rely on the browser extension.