Slow startup is rarely about "the program being big" — it is about too much happening at once. Sogou Browser prioritizes: the window and address bar render first, everything else follows in the background.
What changed in the startup path
Startup runs in three phases: render the main window and address bar, restore last session tabs (lazily by default), then initialize extensions and sync. You can type a URL after the first phase, without waiting for the rest.
- Main window renders first so you can type immediately
- Last session tabs load lazily, never blocking startup
- Extensions and sync initialize afterwards in the background
- Connections to frequent sites are pre-built on first launch
Preloading and preconnecting
During idle time the browser opens connections to sites you visit often and pre-resolves links you are likely to click, removing DNS and handshake time from the actual click.
- DNS and TLS handshakes completed ahead of time
- Address bar predicts the destination as you type
- Only runs when idle, never competing with foreground traffic
- Can be disabled or limited to Wi-Fi in settings
Keeping it fast over time
Startup slows down as extensions and startup items accumulate. Keep only the extensions you use, clear stale session restore entries, and stay on the latest version.
- Trim extensions and disable unused ones
- Turning off "open last session" speeds startup further
- Clear cache and site data periodically
- Keep the browser updated
FAQ
Why does startup slow down after installing many extensions?
Every extension runs a script during initialization. The more extensions, the longer it takes — disable the ones you rarely use.
Does preloading use extra data?
Preconnecting only establishes a connection, it does not download page content, so data use is tiny. You can turn it off or limit it to Wi-Fi.