When using the Glean Chrome extension as the default new tab experience, the page initially renders but is completely non-interactive (clicks do not register, UI appears frozen). After approximately 30–40 seconds, the page becomes responsive and functions normally.
I’ve already tried reinstalling the extension, restarting Chrome and my computer, and updating Chrome to the latest version.
Observed behavior:
- New tab opens and UI renders quickly
- Page appears “frozen” and cannot be interacted with
- No obvious blocking errors in the console during the delay
- After ~40 seconds, additional network activity occurs and the page becomes fully interactive
Console/DevTools notes:
- No consistent blocking errors at time of freeze
- Previously observed intermittent error:
Cannot read properties of null (reading 'postMessage') in newtab.js - Repeated warnings about preloaded resources (e.g.
frame-app and fullscreen-app bundles) not being used immediately - Network tab shows delayed JavaScript/activity around the time the page becomes interactive
Initial hypothesis:
This appears to be related to delayed initialization (possibly auth/session bootstrap, iframe/message initialization, or a dependency timing out and retrying), rather than a full page crash.
Request:
- Are there known issues with the Glean new tab experience related to delayed interactivity or initialization timing?
- Are there specific network requests, services, or extension components that could cause a ~30–40 second delay before the page becomes interactive?
- Any recommended debugging steps or logs I should capture to help isolate the root cause?
