A Keyboard Shortcut that I Promise You'll use even more than CTRL+Z

 

I spend more time in the Google Chrome browser than ever these days, and my laptop screen is almost always cluttered with dozens of open tabs. I can't tell you how many times I've accidentally hit "X" on a tab I was just trying to switch to. It seems to happen on a daily basis. Maybe my mouse speed is not calibrated properly. Maybe I'm too happy. Or maybe I know Ctrl+Shift+T has my back. This keyboard shortcut is my secret weapon, and it has saved me more than I care to admit.

What is Ctrl+Shift+T (or Cmd+Shift+T for Mac users)? I would argue that this is one of the most important and useful keyboard shortcuts out there, right up there with Ctrl+Z. In fact, it performs a similar function: undoing the error. Specifically, the error of accidentally closing a browser tab or window. Ctrl+Shift+T is the easiest way to restore a browser tab you didn't mean to X out.

Let's walk through how to use it as well as all other ways to recover lost tabs in any browser. And don't miss our list of the best Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts, essential Mac keyboard shortcuts and Google Chrome tricks that manage all your tabs for you.

Four Ways to Reopen Closed Tabs in Google Chrome

Google Chrome gives you a few options for restoring tabs and windows after closing them, and depending on your needs, it's good to know how they all work. However, note that restoring closed tabs is not an option when browsing in incognito mode.

1. Keyboard Shortcut Method

The quickest way to restore a tab you've accidentally closed is with a keyboard shortcut. On a PC, use Ctrl+Shift+T. On a Mac, use Cmd+Shift+T. If you want to restore more than one tab, or if you need a tab that you closed a while ago, just keep pressing Ctrl+Shift+T and your tabs will resume in that order. will appear in the order in which they were closed. Bonus: If you accidentally close your entire browser window altogether, simply open a new Chrome window and the keyboard shortcut will reopen everything at once. This is a great trick for those times when a system update forces you to close your browser or completely restart your computer.

2. Browser History Method

Your Chrome browser history also keeps track of recently closed tabs. It's not as lightning fast as a keyboard shortcut, but this method is useful if you've closed a tab a long time ago and need to return to it.

There are a few ways to access your browser history in Chrome. One way is to use another shortcut: Ctrl+H. Another is to click the hamburger menu in the top right corner of your browser, then select History. And the third option is to type "chrome://history" in your address bar, then press enter.

However you get to your browser's history, once there you'll have access to all the websites and tabs you've visited, in reverse chronological order. Clicking on the result will reopen it for you. There's also a built-in list of Recently Closed tabs, which you can select to reopen when scrolling through the hamburger menu.

 

3. Tab Search Method

Ever notice the little arrow pointing down in your Chrome tab bar? In Windows, it's right next to the icons for minimizing, maximizing, and closing your window. (On a Mac it's in the upper right.) This icon is Chrome's built-in tab search feature, which itself can be accessed with a simple keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+A. Tab Search shows you a list of all the tabs you currently have open, and another list of your recently closed tabs. You can scroll through the lists to reopen or switch to the desired tab, or use the search bar to search with keywords. This is useful for people who keep dozens of tabs open all the time.

4. Taskbar Method

If you have a Chrome window open -- or if the app is pinned to your taskbar -- right-click the icon from the taskbar and you'll see a short list of links: Most Viewed and Recently Viewed Closed in From there, you can restore the tab by simply clicking on it. (Note that these options do not appear on a Mac.)

Bonus: 'Continue where I left off' method

There is a Chrome setting that basically makes Ctrl+Shift+T the default. By toggling this feature, every time you open Chrome, the browser will automatically reopen the tabs you had open in your previous session. To turn it on, go to your Chrome settings (also via the hamburger menu), then On Startup. Select Continue where you left off.

What about other browsers like Firefox, Microsoft Edge and Opera?

The Ctrl+Shift+T keyboard shortcut will also work in other browsers (as well as right-clicking on the tab bar and choosing to reopen a closed tab). Most methods for reopening tabs work across browsers, although menu labels and options may differ. With the exception of the taskbar mechanism, the experience is largely the same on the Mac.

For both Firefox and Microsoft Edge, you can also view your browser history to find and reopen tabs that you accidentally closed. Firefox has a dedicated submenu under History called Recently Closed tabs. Microsoft Edge has a tabbed History menu for All, Recently Closed and Tabs from other Devices. In Opera, if you've enabled the sidebar -- and if history is one of the elements you've chosen to add to the sidebar -- clicking the history icon from the sidebar closes recently closed tabs. The list will also be out.

Other browsers also offer a setting to automatically reopen tabs from a previous session on startup. In Firefox, go to Settings > General and check the box under Startup to Open Previous Windows and Tabs. In Microsoft Edge, go to Settings > Start, Home, and New Tabs and select Open tabs from a Previous Session When Edge Starts. And in Opera: On Settings > Startup, then check the box to Keep Tabs from the Previous Session.