Huge Google Chrome upgrade will put an end to tab insanity

Google Chrome
(Image credit: Jeramey Lende / Shutterstock)

We've all been there: You have dozens of Google Chrome tabs open at once, and you completely lost track of the one you really need right now. Fortunately, Google has a new solution to our collective tab hoarding problem. 

As spotted by Laptop Mag, Google's new Tab Groups feature is rolling out in the Chrome 81 build of the popular web browser. This feature lets you group up tabs as if they were files in a folder, allowing you to have discrete labels for each. 

Whether you want to have a work group that bunches together essential websites for your job, or an entertainment group that contains all of your favorite YouTube videos, Twitch streams and gaming websites, Tab Groups is a great tool for folks whose array of tabs often become a cluttered mess.

Tab Groups is one of the more significant upgrades to Google Chrome in years. And with the new version of Microsoft Edge gaining ground on Google's browser, it could go a long way in keeping people from jumping ship. 

Better yet, Tab Groups can be created with a few quick clicks, and all you need is the latest version of Chrome to get started. Here's how to use Tab Groups and finally organize those messy tabs once and for all.

How to use Google Chrome Tab Groups

1. Make sure you have the latest version of Chrome by selecting the three-dot menu at the top right of your screen and choosing Settings.

2. Check the 'About Chrome' menu to see if you need to update. Click Relaunch to complete the update. If you're up to date but still don't have Tab Groups, you can enter Chrome's experimental menu by typing chrome://flags in your browser and turning on Tab Groups manually.

3. Right-click on a tab and select "Add to new group"

4. Click on the circular group marker to give your group a name and color label.

From here, you can add tabs to new and existing groups, as well as close a group all at once or ungroup all of its tabs. Note that if you pin a tab, that will remove it from a group. Happy organizing! 

Michael Andronico

Mike Andronico is Senior Writer at CNNUnderscored. He was formerly Managing Editor at Tom's Guide, where he wrote extensively on gaming, as well as running the show on the news front. When not at work, you can usually catch him playing Street Fighter, devouring Twitch streams and trying to convince people that Hawkeye is the best Avenger.

  • negruj
    Sadly this was the workaround a few months ago. But at this time it does not work anymore.
    Reply
  • Wolfshadw
    Well, the article is a year old. Perhaps an update is underway? (hint, hint to the author).

    -Wolf sends
    Reply