How to Restore Closed Tabs in Chrome

Introduction

Accidentally closing a tab or window in Chrome can be frustrating, especially if you lose access to important information. Fortunately, Chrome provides several ways to restore closed tabs and sessions. Whether you’re on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, or iOS, this guide will help you recover your lost browsing sessions quickly and efficiently.

Quick Fixes to Try First

• Reopen Last Closed Tab: Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + T (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Shift + T (Mac) to instantly reopen the last closed tab.
• Reopen Closed Window: If you’ve closed an entire window, repeat the above keyboard shortcut until your session is restored.
• Check Recently Closed: In Chrome, click on the three-dot menu ⋮ > History > Recently closed to view and reopen closed tabs.

Reopen Last Closed Tab

To restore tabs in Chrome that were recently closed, follow these steps:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + T (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Shift + T (Mac) to reopen the last closed tab. Repeat as necessary to recover multiple tabs.
2. Alternatively, right-click on the tab bar and select Reopen closed tab.

Reopen Closed Window

If you need to restore an entire window:

1. Use the Ctrl + Shift + T (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Shift + T (Mac) shortcut multiple times until all closed windows are restored.
2. Click on the three-dot menu ⋮ > History to check if the window and its tabs appear under Recently closed.

View Recently Closed Tabs

Chrome allows you to view and restore recently closed tabs via the history menu:

1. Click on the three-dot menu ⋮ in the top-right corner of Chrome.
2. Navigate to History > Recently closed.
3. Select the tab or window you wish to reopen from the list.

Restore Tabs After a Crash

If Chrome crashes, it typically offers to restore the previous session upon reopening. If it doesn’t:

1. Open Chrome and go to chrome://settings.
2. Scroll down to the On startup section.
3. Select Continue where you left off to ensure Chrome opens the tabs from your last session.

Use Chrome’s History to Recover Tabs

If the quick fixes don’t work, you can manually reopen tabs from your browsing history:

1. Open Chrome and click on the three-dot menu ⋮.
2. Go to History and browse through your recently visited pages.
3. Click on any page to reopen it in a new tab.

Restoring Tabs on Mobile Devices

Android

1. Open the Chrome app.
2. Tap the three-dot menu ⋮ in the top-right corner.
3. Select Recent tabs to view and reopen closed tabs.

iOS

1. Open the Chrome app.
2. Tap the three-dot menu ⋮ at the bottom-right corner.
3. Choose Recent Tabs to access and reopen your closed tabs.

Conclusion

Whether due to accidental closure or a browser crash, losing tabs in Chrome doesn’t have to be permanent. With a variety of built-in features and shortcuts, Chrome makes it easy to restore tabs and continue where you left off. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can quickly recover your browsing sessions on any device.