New tabs open immediately instead of in the background
Concerns Regarding Required Permissions
Please read the detailed description of required permissions (below) and why they are necessary. Without them, Tab Activate could not work as described. Absolutely no data is changed or collected.
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Description
When you open a link in a new tab, Chrome opens the new tab in the background and provides no option to switch to it immediately.
With Tab Activate, new tabs open immediately instead of in the background.
To override Tab Activate and open a new tab in the background, press the Shift key while opening the new tab. Note: Override does not work for bookmarks.
Tab Activate effectively reverses Chrome's new tab focus behavior.
In other browsers, this setting is called: "When you open a link in a new tab, switch to it immediately."
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Required Permissions
Read and change all your data on the websites you visit:
Required to detect when the Shift key is pressed (no website data is read or changed)
Due to limitations in the Chrome extension API, the only way to detect if the Shift key is being pressed is with the required permissions. Absolutely no data is changed or collected.
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Changes
Version 3.2
Refactored code.
No longer requires bookmarks permission (bookmarks still work).
Version 3.1
Improved Shift key detection when the window loses focus.
Improved error handling.
Fixed a console error.
Version 3.0
Updated to Chrome Manifest V3.
Version 2.1
New icon.
Fixed issues created by Chrome 79 extension API changes.
Version 2.0
As requested, bookmarks are now supported.
Version 1.2
New tabs open to the right of the previous tab and new background tabs open at the end.
Version 1.1
Shift key overrides Tab Activate and opens new tabs in the background.
Version 1.0
Initial release.
Latest reviews
- (2024-06-13) Patrick Nelson: Edit: Seems very buggy now in newer versions of chrome (currently at v126.x). I have to keep manually disabling/enabling the extension in order to get it to start properly opening new tabs. --- Extremely simple. Works better than "Switch To New Tab" which I've used for years. I'm a developer, so I audited the code and can verify that it's extremely simple and doesn't do anything with it's access. In fact, it really doesn't need the requested permissions, because pressing shift when clicking opens in a new window anyway, so it has no practical effect anymore. That's why I reduced this by 1 star. It requires permissions it doesn't really actually need (at least not anymore). The author should update this!
- (2023-11-04) Xen Uno: Operates well with Open Last Tab. Well done! Slowly bringing Tab Mix + functionality to Chrome/Brave piece by piece
- (2023-08-27) Mithilesh TEELOCK: @teel0ck
- (2023-07-30) Robert Paulsen: In other browsers, this setting is called: "When you open a link in a new tab, switch to it immediately." That better describes what is the essential behavior of this extension. I care little if it is slightly less than immediate -- take whatever time is needed to open the link, but switch to it when you do.
- (2023-03-21) kun zou: 不错
- (2023-02-20) Omar Baidawi: I have this on the latest edition of Microsoft Edge and it works like a charm, simple and effective.
- (2023-02-04) Manish Modi: Thank you so much for making this extension. We are so grateful to you for making our life easier.
- (2023-01-10) Steve Procter: We should not need this in 2023, but we do (In Edge too) :( I have been using the plug-in for a coup[le of years and would be lost without it. A massive thanks you to the devs.
- (2022-09-30) Roger Grimsby: I'm new at Chrome. I still have trouble finding the Web Store. I'll try to remember to just google for it. Why doesn't chrome natively understand that when we choose to "open a link in new tab," it's because we want to go there. In Firefox, it's an option you can toggle in their Settings; so easy. The first hundred times I looked in the Web Store for an extension so the browser would go to a new tab when I click "Open in New Tab," I couldn't find anything. I'm not sure what I did different that I finally found it today. "Tab Activate" <heart> It works fine. Now, when I open a link "in a new tab," the new tab gets displayed immediately. An other review said something about this extension doesn't work when you go to Bookmarks and open one of them by right-clicking and choosing Open in a New Tab. I'm having different results on my antique laptop -- when I "open [a Bookmark] in a new tab," the browser goes to the new tab immediately, just fine. Now I don't dislike Chrome so much. Next, I need an extension that adds "Delete" to chrome's right-click menu. I don't necessarily want "Cut," which may displace what's in the clipboard.
- (2022-09-21) A “Littlebutterflygb” Knox: As previous reviewers have said, the extension does not work when clicking on links in the Favourites/Bookmarks Bar which are the most used links! Useful, but not what it really promised.
- (2022-08-14) Dmitry Nesterov (estaf1001): If any site already has link functionality, which should open a new page in a new window, then the extension works. If you click on the link yourself with the mouse wheel, the new page opens in the background. The problem appeared after one of the Google Chrome updates. One of the reasons why I abandoned Google Chrome. the guys are very stubborn.
- (2022-07-27) Megosu Tmp: Doesn't work with Vivaldi browser (tested with 5.3.2679.55). It opens a new tab but it stays blank. I'm currently using "Open Tabs In Foreground 1.0.4" which works a treat, but has been recently marked as "This extension violates the Chrome Web Store policy". It is why I have been trying your extension, but with no luck :(
- (2022-05-28) Akihisa Toyota: 基本的な機能は有効に動いています。 しかし、副作用があります。 Tab groupを折りたたんでいても、Chromeを再起動したときにすべてのTab groupが開いてしまうことがあります。 また、これはChromeの話ではないが、Edgeで空白の新しいタブが開く位置がおかしいことがあります。 このように様々な良くない挙動をすることがあります。 The basic function is working effectively. However, there is a side effect. Sometimes all Tab groups open when Chrome is restarted, even if the Tab group is collapsed. Also, and this is not about Chrome, but sometimes a blank new tab opens in Edge in the wrong position. This is a variety of bad behavior.
- (2022-05-19) Rafał Wałczyk: Aktywacja zakładek działa, ale kiedy mam ustawione, żeby Brave zapamiętywał zakładki przy wyjściu, później przy otwieraniu programu ładują się wszystkie na raz, ogromnie obciążając procesor.
- (2022-03-27) Libre Gisin: THE problem with this extension, is that it destroys the action of "New Tab at End 3000" and of "Tab Position Option". It switch well to the new Tab, but forces it to be next to to current one, so this extension is useless for me if this behavior is not corrected. Two extensions that work well for me are : "Switch to New Tab" and "Tab to Front v2". They can be combined with the two first extensions I mentioned.
- (2021-11-18) Manul9855: Удобное приложение. Изредка возникает баг: не переключается на вкладку. Решаемо перезагрузкой браузера.
- (2021-11-15) 易弗: 时不时会失灵,需要关闭重启扩展,也不知道是哪里出了问题
- (2021-11-05) 小哥哥: 亲测有用
- (2021-04-22) c g: Works great.
- (2021-02-07) Terry S. Bruce: Hope this helps someone as confused as i was: <Macbook [Big Sur] & Chrome v.88.0~ :> --Touchpad click opens link in same tab --Shift+click opens link in new window --Ctrl+click opens a context menu --Cmd+click = joy :-⎎
- (2020-12-03) Hamilcar3K: Excellent, simple but highly useful extension.
- (2020-11-05) Zahtec: Does what it says it does, been using it for a year, great extension
- (2020-09-01) Gerard Reitsma: Just what I was looking for. Tabhandling in browsers mostly is poor. This is useful. Thanks!
- (2020-07-19) CheckIn Center: It works well
- (2020-07-08) Alexis Wilke: Just installed, I clicked with the middle mouse button and sure enough, I'm in that new tab. So much more sensible. Why would you want to open links in a hidden window?! It's like the behavior of the hidden popup everyone hated so much.
- (2020-06-30) Telmo Amaral: Should be built into Chrome.
- (2020-04-04) Gary Wei: 不能用了失效了
- (2020-03-29) if it only had more options, to turn it off quickly, to make site specific rules etc
- (2020-03-19) Scott Toughill: The fact this requires an extension is why I tend to never use Chrome unless necessary. This is a standard option in every other browser.
- (2020-02-18) 周佳: 木有用啊
- (2020-02-10) luo wen: Not work on version 80. Please help to update it.
- (2020-01-06) Gilu One: Works for normal links. However, it does not work for bookmarks in toolbar.
- (2020-01-01) UU Bz: 谢谢作者更新 Thanks the author for the update
- (2020-01-01) Luuk De Vries: It works again. Thank you very much.
- (2019-12-30) Gary Will: Awesome! Great to have this back again after Google made changes to Chrome that stopped Tab Activate from working. Working great again!
- (2019-12-26) 御礼: chrome内核79的edge下,插件不生效
- (2019-12-25) Pete Athoe: I use tab activate all the time. Recently it stopped activating new tabs when I select a link from my favorites in chrome. It works from a web page just fine but won't activate a link from the bookmark tabs. Very frustrating. Why did it change?
- (2019-12-19) Joseph Morlan: This extension worked fine until the latest Chrome update. It still works on links, but it does not work as expected on bookmarks. The author has been notified, but has not yet come up with a fix. Frustrated I found an alternative that does not have this problem. Tabs to Front v2 Offered by: dougcuk42
- (2019-12-16) Paul D: It just stopped working today. Will leave installed for a day or two and see if it regains function, otherwise will switch to one of the similar apps.
- (2019-12-14) carsten e: I was happy to use it for a year or so. But now it stopped working (12-2019). Such a shame to have to find another one of these.
- (2019-12-13) D Wainio: It use to work great before the chrome 79 update. Unfortunately, now it's broken. Please fix it Google!
- (2019-12-13) john maletic: No longer works in Chrome 79. Pitty.
- (2019-12-13) Gary Quiring: Since Chrome v79 release this no longer works. And I noticed the last update to this extension was 2015, so it looks like abandon-ware.
- (2019-12-12) Jesus Says: Not working in Version Chrome 79.0.3945.79 (Official Build) (64-bit). Is this going to be fixed?
- (2019-12-11) Michael Levin: On one PC it works as advertised. [When I click the wheel on a bookmark, it opens a new tab and jumps to that tab.] But on my laptop it stopped working. Reinstall did not fix it. Reinstall Chrome did not fix it. Now if I click the wheel on a bookmark while pressing shift, the desired behavior works. If I don't press shift, I get the new tab, but have to select it.
- (2019-12-05) Jim Robinson: So far, so good after a few days of use; Tab Activate works as advertised on Google Chrome version 78.0.3904.108 (Official Build) (64-bit); it even works with bookmarks via the Neater Bookmarks extension.
- (2019-11-22) Ronald Ramakers: I lov(ED) it. Unfortunately, recently it doesn't work anymore. It's activated but for some unclear reason when I click with my right mouse button on a bookmark and select 'Open in new tab' it only opens the bookmark in a new tab but doesn't go automatically to that new tab anymore. Hence, each time I have to click on the new tab to open the bookmark site. So, there's no difference anymore with or without 'Tab activate'. I use Google Chrome Version 79.0.3945.36 (Official Build) beta (64-bit). When I read the positive comments it seems that nobody has this problem. So, it must be a problem with my version of Google Chrome. Anybody an idea how I can solve this problem; so, I can use Tab Activate as before?
- (2019-11-18) le zou: 按ctrl链接跳转新标签页,按shift跳转新后台,比右键选择还是要方便点
- (2019-11-06) 王雪涵: 失效
- (2019-10-31) Kuteiba Al-imami: Please update. The bookmarks page sometimes opens in the background. Other than this issue the add-on is very useful to me.