Flickering video when using the Chromium web browser in the Ubuntu 16.04 operating system

This article provides a resolution to the screen flickering issue you may encounter when using a Chromium web browser with the Ubuntu 16.04 operating system.

Flickering video on Chromium web browser in Ubuntu 16.04

When using the Chromium web browser on a computer with the Ubuntu operating system installed, the screen may flicker rapidly on certain web pages. This issue has been seen on Ubuntu 16.04, on kernels 4.4 and above.

How to resolve the issue

The flickering video issue can be resolved by following the steps below to enable hardware acceleration in the Chromium web browser settings:

1. Launch the Chromium web browser and select the sideways ellipsis in the upper right-hand corner (Figure 1):

   
   Figure 1: Chromium web browser menu selection

2. Select the Settings option from the dropdown menu (Figure 2):

   
   Figure 2: Chromium web browser settings option

3. Select Show advanced settings...(Figure 3):

   
   Figure 3: Show advanced settings selection

4. Check the box labeled Use hardware acceleration when available (Figure 4):

   
   Figure 4: Hardware acceleration setting

5. Restart the computer and open the Chromium web browser to ensure the flickering issue is resolved.