Chrome for iOS is getting a quiet but important improvement in its Downloads list. Google engineers changed how the app refreshes this screen by slowing down how often the UI updates. This avoids the small stutters users notice when several downloads change at the same time.
I spotted the update while browsing, which appeared on the Chromium Gerrit code tracker. The patch explains that Chrome now groups several download changes together instead of refreshing the screen every time one item updates. The goal is to keep the scrolling smooth and prevent the interface from feeling heavy.
How the new throttling works
The change uses a timer system to control how often the Downloads list refreshes. Chrome now updates the list at about 10 frames per second in normal use. When the user scrolls, the refresh rate drops to about 3 frames per second. This slows down background work so scrolling stays responsive.
Developers also added a cache for download items. Instead of applying each update the moment it arrives, Chrome collects multiple changes and applies them in one batch. Each batch takes roughly five milliseconds, which is far lighter than applying dozens of small updates. The code also replaces the older method that refreshed the list immediately whenever items changed.
Developer notes from the review
Comments in the review show the team discussing how the update should run on the main iOS run loop. Reviewers suggested using a repeating timer instead of CADisplayLink and recommended checking the current run loop mode to decide when to skip frames during scrolling. The engineer handling the change adopted this approach and updated the tests to match the new behavior.
The improvement helps anyone who downloads many files or watches several downloads finish at once. The list now stays smooth even when items update rapidly. It is a small change on record, but it improves day-to-day performance in a place where many users expect quick responses.
