Google is making it much easier to resurrect closed tabs in Chrome

Google Chrome
(Image credit: BigTunaOnline / Shutterstock)

Chrome will soon allow you to restore accidentally closed tabs more easily, and find exactly the one you want no matter how long ago you closed it.

It's something we've all done – closed a browser tab with an erroneous mouse click or the wrong keyboard shortcut. 

To help make things a little easier – particularly for those with a poor memory for keyboard shortcuts – Google is introducing a new method of reopening closed tabs in Chrome. It's part of the recently added tab search feature, and it makes life a whole lot easier.

The new tab restoration method is not only a nice additional method of getting tabs back, it's more versatile than using a keyboard shortcut. Accessible via the tab search pop-up menu, it will show a list of recently closed tabs, which you can also search to find the one you need.

The problem with the keyboard shortcut method is that it works like the Undo feature of many apps, reopening tabs in reverse chronological order. Using the tab search menu lets you pick any recently closed tab and open it with a quick click, regardless of when it was closed.

Back to life

You can test out the new feature in the latest Canary build of Chrome. This version of the browser may be unstable, but can be safely installed in addition to the main release version without problems.

The new tab options can be accessed without the need to enable any hidden settings. While the new tab restoration method is undeniably useful, it's still handy to try to remember the keyboard shortcut; if you're using Windows ,it's Ctrl + Shift and T, while in macOS it's Command + Shift + T.

Via Android Police

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Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson
Freelance writer

Sofia is a tech journalist who's been writing about software, hardware and the web for nearly 25 years – but still looks as youthful as ever! After years writing for magazines, her life moved online and remains fueled by technology, music and nature.

Having written for websites and magazines since 2000, producing a wide range of reviews, guides, tutorials, brochures, newsletters and more, she continues to write for diverse audiences, from computing newbies to advanced users and business clients. Always willing to try something new, she loves sharing new discoveries with others.

Sofia lives and breathes Windows, Android, iOS, macOS and just about anything with a power button, but her particular areas of interest include security, tweaking and privacy. Her other loves include walking, music, her two Malamutes and, of course, her wife and daughter.

You can find her on Twitter and Mastodon.

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