As a full-stack developer and Chrome power user, I often juggle dozens of open tabs for research and testing. Tab organization is critical for my productivity. Through years of refinement, I‘ve discovered many little-known tips and tricks for taking control of Chrome tabs.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll impart that hard-won knowledge to help fellow coders and Chrome users master tab management.
The Growing Tab Overload Problem
Google Chrome has over 2 billion users as of 2022 – 65% of the global browser market share according to StatCounter.
With great popularity comes great tab overload. Based on Chrome usage research, the average user has 15 tabs open at once, while power users exceed 100 open tabs.
This barrage of information leads to distraction, confusion, and loss of productivity. Coders like myself also juggle numerous tabs for testing and reference while coding.
Fortunately, Chrome offers out-of-the-box features to help identify tabs quickly. Let‘s explore the various methods available.
Method #1 – Search Bar Within Tab Strip
This clever built-in search bar saves tremendous time compared to clicking through tabs:
To enable:
- Click the 3-dot Chrome menu in the top right
- Go to Settings > Appearance
- Turn on "Show tab search bar"
- Relaunch Chrome for changes
A search icon will now appear beside the tab strip. Click it to reveal the search bar and current tabs:
Benefits
- Search by page title and URL
- Filters visible tabs dynamically
- Works for open AND closed tabs
- Shared across Chrome windows
Limitations
- Not enabled by default
- Only searches current browsing session
- Needs Chrome v80+
Pro Tips
- Use punctuation marks around terms to search exact phrases
- Add site: to filter pages from a domain (e.g. site:wikipedia.org)
- Toggle "Recently closed" to resurrect closed tabs
I find this to be the quickest option to jump between active projects. Now let‘s look at finding older tabs no longer in your session history.
Method #2 – Leverage Chrome History
The History page shows all visited websites, not just those currently loaded in your browser session. It‘s perfect for rediscovering tabs you accidentally closed long ago.
To access:
- Click the 3-dot menu > History
- Or use the shortcut Ctrl+H / Cmd+Y
This reveals your entire history stacked chronologically:
Now you can scroll manually or use Search to pinpoint a page. The visual timeline view makes it easy to zero in on a date range.
Pros:
- Full tab record since installing Chrome
- Recover accidentally closed tabs
- Date stamps help identify recency
Cons:
- No folder structure for history
- Pages get pruned over time
Tips & Tricks
- Click stars to bookmark important pages
- Right-click Remove From History to delete entries
- Use "Open Closed Tabs" below search box
- Reduce auto-pruning under Settings > Privacy
History search works hand-in-hand with tab search to cover your tracks. Next let‘s see how bookmarks can take control a step further.
Method #3 – Better Bookmarks for Tab Management
Bookmarks might seem outdated, but they enable easy organization and quick access for frequently used tabs.
The key is structuring your bookmarks into logical folders instead of an endless flat list:
This keeps related sites organized under their respective categories and projects.
Benefits include:
- Adds bookmarks from any page with one click
- Folders keep things organized
- Enable bookmarks bar for single click access
- Sync bookmarks across devices
Downsides:
- No search function within bookmarks by default
- Remembering folder locations takes time
- Mobile syncing can be spotty
The native bookmark manager is rather dated compared to sophisticated modern software. Let‘s look at how to augment it with extensions.
Enhanced Bookmarks with Toby
Toby is a popular Chrome extension that enhances native bookmark functionality.
Key features:
- Full-text search across all bookmarks
- Modern visual interface
- Tags for easier filtering
- Chrome & browser sync integration
Install Toby from the Chrome Web Store. The free version meets most needs for individuals.
Combined with bookmark folders, Toby makes websites instantly accessible from the toolbar.
Potential Alternatives
- Raindrop.io – Cloud bookmark manager
- Momentum – Homepage with stats
- Linkace – Smart visual bookmarks
- Save to Pocket app
- Browser tab grouping extensions
Each have their own pros and cons depending on needs.
Method #4 – Tab Previews by Hovering
My favorite undiscovered feature in modern Chrome versions – hover over any tab to preview the underlying page.
No more squinting at tiny favicon images trying to identify tabs!
To enable:
- Chrome menu > Settings
- Under Appearance, enable "Show tab previews"
Now simply hover your mouse cursor over any tab to see a popup with the page title and URL. This avoids losing context from constantly tab switching.
Limitations
- Need up-to-date Chrome 70+
- Doesn‘t work on touch screens
- Content previews show limited context
Still, this remains invaluable in managing the ubiquitous tab overload modern browsers face.
Chrome Task Manager – For Extreme Tab Hoarders
If you have 100+ tabs like myself, Chrome‘s built-in task manager becomes vital.
Access it via the 3-dot menu or Shift+Esc keyboard shortcut. Here you‘ll see all open tabs and extensions with RAM and CPU usage:
Now you can identify the tabs hogging system resources. The culprits are often sites heavy on JavaScript, video or graphics.
Close notorious resource hogs then restart Chrome for smoother sailing, especially on low-power machines.
Pro tip – right click tabs from here for shortcuts to bookmark or close all.
Closing Thoughts
The life of developers and power users often necessitates a tab-heavy browsing environment. But uncontrolled tabs waste time, attention and system resources.
Hopefully this guide has revealed some techniques allowing you to reclaim order amidst the online chaos. Simply enabling tab search and previews makes a world of difference.
Do you have any other tips or questions on managing tabs in Chrome? What‘s your current strategy? Let me know in the comments!