Manage tabs in Chrome

You can open multiple tabs in Chrome. You can also check and switch between all your tabs. When you open a new tab, Chrome opens a personalised New tab page.

Some of the ways that you can customise your New tab page content are with:

• Different themes
• Your shortcuts

Learn how to customise your new tab page.

Common actions with tabs

Perform basic actions when you search the web on Chrome.

Open a new tab

1. On your Android device, open Chrome .
2. At the top right, tap More New tab .

Tip: At the top of your Chrome window, you can also open a new tab when you tap New tab .

Open an inactive tab

If you haven't used a tab for 21 days or more, it'll move to the 'Inactive tabs' section.

To manage your inactive tabs:

1. On your Android device, open Chrome .
2. On the right of the address bar, tap Switch tabs Inactive tabs.
   • If you have inactive tabs, you can find them at the top of the tab grid.
3. Tap the tab that you want to open.

Tips:

• Only ungrouped tabs can become inactive.
• Once a tab becomes active again, the active tab count will be updated.

Close a tab

1. On your Android device, open Chrome .
2. To the right of the address bar, tap Switch tabs . Any open tabs will appear.
3. At the top right of the tab that you want to close, tap Close . You can also swipe to close the tab.

Close all tabs

1. On your Android device, open Chrome .
2. To the right of the address bar, tap Switch tabs . Any open tabs will appear.
3. Tap More Close all tabs.

Close all inactive tabs

1. On your Android device, open Chrome .
2. To the right of the address bar, tap Switch tabs .
3. Tap Inactive tabs.
4. At the bottom, tap Close all inactive tabs Close all.

Manage inactive tabs

1. On your Android device, open Chrome .
2. Tap More Settings Tabs.
3. To hide inactive tabs, select the time period.
   • To turn off this feature, tap Never more.

Tips:

• Inactive tabs automatically closed after 60 days in the inactive tab folder.
  • If you don't want to close inactive tabs after 60 days, turn off Close after 60 days.
• To access the settings page within 'Inactive tabs', at the top right, tap More Settings.

Switch to a new tab

1. On your Android device, open Chrome .
2. To the right of the address bar, tap Switch tabs . Any open tabs will appear.
3. Swipe to the tab that you want and tap it.

Reorder tabs

1. On your Android device, open Chrome .
2. To the right of the address bar, tap Switch tabs .
3. Touch and hold the tab that you want to move.
4. Drag the tab to a different position.

Group your tabs

You can organise your tabs with groups. When you create or edit a tab group, changes are automatically saved and synced across devices where you're signed in with the same Google Account.

1. On your Android device, open Chrome .
2. Tap Switch tabs .
   • To create a tab group:
     1. Touch and hold a tab.
     2. Drag over another tab that you want to group it with.
     3. Enter the tab group name.
     4. Select the tab group colour.
     5. Select Done.
   • To add a tab to an existing group:
     1. Touch and hold a tab.
     2. Drag the tab into the group.
   • To merge tab groups:
     1. Touch and hold, then drag a tab into a group that you want to merge it with.
        • This action can delete the dragged tab group across devices.
   • To edit a tab group:
     • To change the tab colour:
       1. Tap the tab group.
       2. On the left of the tab group name, tap the colour.
       3. Select the colour of the tab group.
     • To rename the tab group:
       1. Tap the tab group.
       2. To rename, select the title.
       3. Enter the new tab group name.
   • To find tabs in a group: Select a group.
   • To remove a tab from a group:
     1. Tap the tab group.
     2. Touch and hold the tab that you want to remove.
     3. Drag the tab to the 'Remove from group' area at the bottom of your screen.
   • To close a tab group:
     1. Touch and hold a tab group or tap More .
     2. Tap Close group.
        • A closed group isn't deleted and is saved in the bookmarks bar or in the menu. You can reopen a closed group again.
   • To close all tab groups:
     1. At the top right, tap More .
     2. From the drop-down, tap Close all tabs.
     3. To confirm, tap Close all tabs and groups.
   • To open or reopen a tab group:
     1. Tap Grid .
     2. Under 'Tab groups', select the name of the tab group that you want to open or reopen.

Tips:

• To open a link in a new tab in a group, touch and hold the link, then tap Open in new tab in group.
• To keep tab groups from automatically syncing across your devices, tap Settings Sync and then untick Open tabs.
• By default, tab groups are automatically open from other devices. To turn off:
  1. Tap Settings Tabs.
  2. Under 'Tab groups settings', turn off Automatically open tab groups from other devices.
• On your Android tablet:
  • To add a tab into an existing tab group in the tab strip, drag the tab into the group.
  • To remove a tab from a tab group in the tab strip, drag the tab out of the group.

Delete a tab group

Important: When you delete a tab group, it'll be removed on your device and other devices that use the same Google Account.

1. On your Android device, open Chrome .
2. Tap Switch tabs .
3. Touch and hold a tab group or tap More .
4. Tap Delete group.
5. To confirm, tap Delete group.

You can also:

1. On your Android device, open Chrome .
2. Tap Switch tabs Grid .
3. Select the tab group name that you want to delete.
4. Tap Delete.
5. To confirm, tap Delete group.

Open a link in a tab group

1. On your Android device, open Chrome .
2. Navigate to a link that you want to open.
3. Touch and hold the link.
4. Tap Open in new tab in group.

Reload tabs

1. On your Android device, open Chrome .
2. To the right of the address bar, tap More Reload .

Perform bulk actions on tabs

You can perform bulk actions when you tap More or when you touch and hold tabs.

Close tabs

1. On your Android device, open Chrome .
2. To the right of the address bar, tap Switch tabs .
3. Tap More Select tabs.
4. Select the tabs that you want to close.
5. Tap More Close tabs.

Group tabs

Important: When you create or edit a tab group, changes are automatically saved and synced across devices where you're signed in with the same Google Account.

1. On your Android device, open Chrome .
2. To the right of the address bar, tap Switch tabs .
3. Touch and hold any tab or tap More .
4. Tap Select tabs.
5. Choose the tabs that you want to group.
6. Tap More Group tabs.

Ungroup tabs

Important: When you ungroup tabs, it leaves the tabs open on your device. However, it also deletes the group on your device and other devices that use the same Google Account.

1. On your Android device, open Chrome .
2. To the right of the address bar, tap Switch tabs .
3. Open a tab group containing the tabs that you want to ungroup.
4. Touch and hold any tab, or tap More Select tabs.
5. Choose the tabs that you want to ungroup.
6. Tap More Ungroup tabs.

Close tabs in a group

1. On your Android device, open Chrome .
2. To the right of the address bar, tap Switch tabs .
3. Open a tab group containing the tabs that you want to close.
4. Tap More Select tabs.
5. Select the tabs that you want to delete from the group.
6. Tap More Close tabs.

Share tabs

1. On your Android device, open Chrome .
2. To the right of the address bar, tap Switch tabs .
3. Touch and hold any tab, or tap More Select tabs.
4. Choose the tabs that you want to share.
5. Tap More Share tabs.
6. Choose where you want to share.

Share tabs in a group

1. On your Android device, open Chrome .
2. To the right of the address bar, tap Switch tabs .
3. Open a tab group containing the tabs that you want.
4. Tap Select tabs.
5. Choose the tabs that you want to share.
6. Tap More Share tabs.

Bookmark tabs

1. On your Android device, open Chrome .
2. To the right of the address bar, tap Switch tabs .
3. Touch and hold any tab, or tap More Select tabs.
4. Choose the tabs that you want to bookmark.
5. Tap More Bookmark tabs.

Open new windows on your Android tablet in Chrome

You can open up to five windows at a time and move tabs from one window to another on your Android tablet.

Open a new window

1. On your Android tablet, open Chrome .
2. Tap More New window.

Move a tab to another window

Move a tab from the menu

1. On your Android tablet, open Chrome .
2. In the tab that you want to move, tap More .
3. Tap Move to other window.
4. Select the window to which the tab is to be moved.
5. Tap Move tab.

Move a tab by drag and drop

1. On your Android tablet, open Chrome .
2. In the tab that you want to move, touch and hold, then drag it to the other window.
   • You can drop the tab in the tab strip, tab switcher or over site content of the other window.

Tip: When you drag a tab over site content, the site content will be replaced by the contents of that tab.

Enter split-screen mode

Important: Split screen only works on Samsung tablets.

To open a new window and trigger split screen:

1. On your Android tablet, open Chrome .
2. To open a tab in a new window, touch and hold, then drag and drop it to the edge of your screen.

Switch windows

1. On your Android tablet, open Chrome .
2. Tap More Manage windows.
3. Tap the window that you'd like to open.

Close a window

1. On your Android tablet, open Chrome .
2. Tap More Manage windows.
3. Next to the window that you want to close, tap More Close window.
4. To confirm, tap Close window.

Related resources

• Set your homepage and start-up page
• Browse in Incognito mode
• Customise your new tab page in Chrome