Google Chrome Helper Renderer and Miro renderer

Or it could be Google's keystone daemons. See https://chromeisbad.com for instructions on how to completely remove Chrome and its keystone daemons. It's possible doing this might improve the ability to use Safari's with your work. Have you tried Firefox or Edge browsers? If none of these work you can always reinstall Chrome.

Hi ApacheRose_,

Thank you for participating in the Apple Support Communities. We understand certain processes are slowing down your system and making the fans work hard, and we'd like to assist. First, make sure all your Google and Miro software is updated to the latest version along with any web browsing extensions or plugins you have.

As you mentioned, updating macOS is a good step. Maybe even consider backing up and then upgrading macOS if possible.

How to get old versions of macOS

Removing login items can sometimes help overall performance issues as well.

Remove login items to resolve startup problems on your Mac

Take care.

Basically, it's at least some of the supplied, though more likely third party plugins you're using with Chrome that have caused the Helper to go nuts. Explanation of why is here:

https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-google-chrome-helper

Worst possible scenario, it's Miro in connection with the Chrome Helper.

Some extra info on Chrome. I realize you seem to be stuck with it for a project, but you should maybe pass this information on to those who insist on using this horrible browser.

I really don't get what people think is so great about Chrome. It's a known, massive resource hog. On top of that, from the moment you turn your Mac on to the time you turn it off, it is constantly sending anonymized data of your computer and web usage to Google's servers. Chrome doesn't even have to be running. The keystone agents

/Library/LaunchDaemons/google.keystone.agent.plist

/Library/LaunchDaemons/google.keystone.xpcservice.plist

do that by launching apps buried within the Chrome app, which load at startup. And then there's this.

We don't allow any software written by Google on our Macs. Not Chrome, Google Earth, or anything else. Google's real business is collecting marketing data. You are their unwilling and unpaid source for it when you use any of their junk. If Safari isn't a browser you care much for, try Firefox. If you have one, you do not need Chrome to access your Google account. You can do that from any browser.

There is a choice in Chrome's settings to turn ad tracking off. However, that is literal to ad tracking, which Safari automatically blocks. Ad tracking is where you look at a particular product on one site, and then that same item keeps magically appearing in ads on other sites that have nothing to do with the product. Like seeing a guitar you previously viewed somewhere else on a site that sells dental products. It does nothing to turn off Google's relentless data collection.

Since I don't have Chrome installed (and won't), I can't test to see what may be causing your issue. I have had it installed in the past to test something else. After being run the first time, Chrome creates files all over the place on your drive. Mostly in folders you wouldn't think to look in for its buried junk.

Oh. And it does no good to delete those keystone agents. Google will simply recreate them if they're missing. The only way to disable them is by performing multiple steps in Terminal to modify those .plist files so they're essentially neutered.

Hi Kurt,

yes I read this article fairly early on, but when I click on extensions in Chrome it only shows Google docs, google sheets and one other google app that I need to use for work. I am new to Chrome for this project.

I tried some of these strings (?) blogs said you can use in the address bar to show hidden pages to look for hidden plug-ins, the string returned an error so I tried just basic hidden pages, that errored too.

Someone online has suggested that Chrome are deliberately closing all these ways to fix this issue to drive you to turn on add content, and that turning this on resolve the issue, but this seems unlikely to me, so I will try the other suggestions Terry has made. Fingers crossed and thank you for taking the time to share that article.

Yup, I know all about Google's keystone daemons. I chose to focus on the two items the OP mentioned.

Thank you. I have done this today, now on Monterey. Waiting to see how this goes when I have my first video call tomorrow.

Hi Terry,

I'll try your suggestions this week if the MacOS upgrade hasn't sorted this.

Many thanks for sharing!

Dawn