Google Chrome is making it a breeze to reopen closed tabs — here's how

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Chrome update makes it easier to reopen tabs you closed by accident

Google Chrome reopen tabs
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Google Chrome is rolling out an update that will let users view their recently closed tabs from the tab search window. That’s according to Techdows, which reported that the latest version of Chrome Canary will include the newly relocated tab history feature.

The new Chrome feature will improve the usability of the platform, not only providing quicker access to closed tabs, but saving the hassle of digging through Chrome’s history menu.

When paired with the search tab feature, users can quickly rifle through old tabs if they’ve accidentally closed them — something we’re all prone to doing. 

Currently, when a tab is closed, it means the user has to navigate to the browser’s history menu in the menu bar to find the closed page; now, the tab search pop-out includes a list of the currently open tabs, and underneath that, a list of tabs that were recently closed.

It's currently only available on the latest version of Chrome Canary; however, there's no need to opt-in or toggle a flag or settings option, as it's automatically on by default. You can follow the steps below to use the feature. 

How to view recently closed tabs in Chrome

  1. Open Chrome Canary.
  2. Open several tabs and then close them.
  3. Click the tab search option, found at the top-right of the Chrome window.
  4. From there, you can now see a Recently Closed Tabs section. Click any tab to restore it in Chrome.

The feature is in its early testing stages, but we'd hope to see this being rolled out to the stable version of Google Chrome sometime in the near future. 

It follows a raft of updates to the Chrome platform, including the Sharing Hub for Chrome desktop and a slew of auto-fill improvements, with Google pledging to launch more frequent updates to boost the platform's day-to-day usability. 

Luke Wilson
Luke Wilson

Luke is a Trainee News Writer at T3 and contributor to Tom's Guide, having graduated from the DMU/Channel 4 Journalism School with an MA in Investigative Journalism. Before switching careers, he worked for Mindshare WW. When not indoors messing around with gadgets, he's a disc golf enthusiast, keen jogger, and fond of all things outdoors.