Ctrl+Tab MRU

How to install an extension Open in Chrome Web Store

CRX ID

ialfjajikhdldpgcfglgndennidgkhik

Status

Extension status: Featured
Live on Store

Description from extension meta

Switch between tabs in the most recently used order, can be configured to use Ctrl+Tab as a shortcut

Image from store

Description from store

'Ctrl+Tab MRU' allows switching through tabs in the order they were visited before. By default this happens by pressing Ctrl+Y for going back in time and Ctrl+Shift+Y for the other way round.

*** IMPORTANT TO KNOW ***
Unfortunately Chrome doesn't drectly allow users to set Ctr+Tab as shortcut keys. So I suggest using the following trick to circumvent this: https://superuser.com/a/1326712.
*** *** ***

Tab switching also works on special pages (like chrome://), Chrome Web Store URLs, PDFs, XMLs or when the address bar is focused. In this case a temporary tab is opened to show the menu.
To directly jump to a tab listed on the switcher menu, click on its title or icon.

Drawbacks:
- At the moment I don't have an idea how to avoid the temporary tab. It's required because I otherwise could not detect the release of the ctrl key (=end of the switching action) on special pages.
- If you release the ctrl key too fast while the temporary tab is loaded I am unable to detect the key-up event, therefore the menu gets stuck. Please hit the ctrl key again to finish switching.
- Recent tab order is not preserved when closing and restoring a window.

Permissions:
- 'Access your data on all websites': required to draw the tab list on top of the websites' content and to detect PDFs and XMLs.
- 'Access your tabs and browsing activity': required to record tab order, open the temporary tab and to switch to the selected tab.

Updates:
- 0.9
-- switch to Manifest V3 to be future proof
- 0.6
-- tab titles on the switcher popup are now clickable to directly jump to a tab
-- no more need to reload the tabs after initial install
-- added xml viewer support (menu is shown on temporary tab)

- 0.5
-- added frameset support (menu is shown on temporary tab)

- 0.4.2
-- added support for ftp and file:// pages
-- added incognito support

- 0.3.1
-- corrected tab order for tabs opened in the background
-- refined stylesheet

Latest reviews

YG ABCDries 2025-09-19: 2025.09.19.Fr.14.10. in my experience doesn't work on Chromium for Windows.11.
Lucas Mateus (LucDev) 2025-08-29: This extension wasn't what I was looking for... I guess it was supposed to switch between the most recently used tabs, but it just show a list and we must select (in order they're accessed) the tab... This feature is pretty good, so that's why I gave four stars... It's simple and efficient.
aki play 2024-09-30: unstable performance
Alex D 2024-03-15: Works great. For ease of use I set my keyboard shortcuts to Ctrl + Q and Ctrl + Shift + Q. Also, enabled in Incognito and in file URLs. EDIT: Somehow, not all open tabs are listed in its menu. Have to downgrade my rating, unfortunately.
O Salah 2023-04-16: A useful extension. It has some minor glitches but still useful.
O Salah 2023-04-16: A useful extension. It has some minor glitches but still useful.
vania p. 2023-02-25: doesnt workin on my mac
vania p. 2023-02-25: doesnt workin on my mac
Meteora 2022-03-05: 好用~
Big Japko 2022-02-09: Works fine, except for localhost pages or local files (eg. pdf).
Big Japko 2022-02-09: Works fine, except for localhost pages or local files (eg. pdf).
Mauricio Sellaro 2021-07-04: Congratulations by your little big idea !!! You are created an excellent extension !!! It is so practical as simple. Keep it up Daniel !!!
Mauricio Sellaro 2021-07-04: Congratulations by your little big idea !!! You are created an excellent extension !!! It is so practical as simple. Keep it up Daniel !!!
Daniel Liuzzi 2019-10-20: See https://superuser.com/a/1326712/18964 for a more proper solution to bind Ctrl+Tab and Ctrl+Shift+Tab to this extension that's easier, will not reset when you close Chrome, and will even sync to your profile. All credit goes to Nathan Ladwig and jdunning.
Daniel Liuzzi 2019-10-20: See https://superuser.com/a/1326712/18964 for a more proper solution to bind Ctrl+Tab and Ctrl+Shift+Tab to this extension that's easier, will not reset when you close Chrome, and will even sync to your profile. All credit goes to Nathan Ladwig and jdunning.
Thomas Whaley 2019-07-26: Really nice implimentation, this is the third plugin that I tried when looking for this functionality. Dont think I will be looking any further, GJ
Thomas Whaley 2019-07-26: Really nice implimentation, this is the third plugin that I tried when looking for this functionality. Dont think I will be looking any further, GJ
Anonymous 2019-06-04: Awesome! The only extension out there (as far as I know) that has a comprehensive (and working) instruction as what to do to use Ctrl+Tab and Ctrl+Shift+Tab to cycle through the last two previously used tabs (as is the case in Firefox). Shame on Google for not having this convenient feature!
Kevin H 2019-04-26: It works on my Mac with Brave browser with the "change your settings file hack"! Great work! Thank you so much!
Kevin H 2019-04-26: It works on my Mac with Brave browser with the "change your settings file hack"! Great work! Thank you so much!
Ree 2019-03-25: no worky
Ree 2019-03-25: no worky
Dewi Jones 2018-12-14: source code? :)
Dewi Jones 2018-12-14: source code? :)
Elham Najafzadeh 2018-09-29: Actually this feature is more useful than ctrl+Tab, which switches between tabs on the order of occurrence. I do not know why it is not provided in chrome. But that pop up which shows the list of tab could have a better design.
Elham Najafzadeh 2018-09-29: Actually this feature is more useful than ctrl+Tab, which switches between tabs on the order of occurrence. I do not know why it is not provided in chrome. But that pop up which shows the list of tab could have a better design.
Артём Назаров 2018-08-01: Даже после выполнения инструкции от уважаемого Roman T при попытке переключить вкладку плодит пустые вкладки с адресами chrome-extension://ialfjajikhdldpgcfglgndennidgkhik/at_flansch_ctrltabmru.html?at_flansch_ctrltabmru=next
らんあら 2018-07-27: ダミーでCtrl+Y,Ctrl+Shift+Y(※Yは何でも良い) 等のショートカットを設定してから、 Winの場合: C:\Users\<yourUserName>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Preferences Macの場合: /Users/<yourUserName>/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/Preferences を、 Ctrl+Y→Ctrl+Tab Ctrl+Shift+Y→Ctrl+Shift+Tab に編集するときちんと動作しますし、 [*** IMPORTANT TO KNOW ***] にもその内容が書いてあるのですが、最初かなり苦戦し、導入に苦労しました。インストール時にPreferencesファイルを自動で編集することは難しいのでしょうか？？ただし、導入後は非常に重宝しています。 Ctrl+Tabを押した際に出てくる履歴一覧が、Win, Mac ,Firefox Quantum みたいに中央に横並びで出てくると、カッコいいですが、ちょっと贅沢かもしれませんねw
Danni Webb 2018-07-11: Doesn't work. Options greyed out.
Danni Webb 2018-07-11: Doesn't work. Options greyed out.
Sid Sen 2018-04-01: There is an issue with this extension. At times it does not show all the open tabs when you press ctrl+q (or whatever is the shortcut). Then I have to manually restart the extension, after which it works for a while.
Sid Sen 2018-04-01: There is an issue with this extension. At times it does not show all the open tabs when you press ctrl+q (or whatever is the shortcut). Then I have to manually restart the extension, after which it works for a while.
DvM 2018-02-23: Ctrl+Tab shotcut can't be programed easily. Thanks to Roman T instruction we made it manually on "low level". Extension not as "install and play". Please, change something. For example programing not as pressing the keys, but inputing it as text.
DvM 2018-02-23: Ctrl+Tab shotcut can't be programed easily. Thanks to Roman T instruction we made it manually on "low level". Extension not as "install and play". Please, change something. For example programing not as pressing the keys, but inputing it as text.
Dmitry Torshin 2018-01-16: Thank you very much! It doesn't work with multi accounts, but it still useful, even with Ctrl+Q (for example) combination.
Dmitry Torshin 2018-01-16: Thank you very much! It doesn't work with multi accounts, but it still useful, even with Ctrl+Q (for example) combination.
Hugh Hyatt 2018-01-10: Under too many circumstances, I don't have Ctrl-Tab access to most of my open tabs.
Hugh Hyatt 2018-01-10: Under too many circumstances, I don't have Ctrl-Tab access to most of my open tabs.
Lorenz Pressler 2018-01-02: does not work. inactive options.
Lorenz Pressler 2018-01-02: does not work. inactive options.
Castor Sky 2017-12-06: Если включена синхронизация - работать не будет (или будет, но до первого закрытия хрома). Настройки клавиш меняются при перезапуске.
nako ruru 2017-10-13: great one but not work well on mac
nako ruru 2017-10-13: great one but not work well on mac
Stefano R. 2017-09-09: Di utilizzo non immediato ma efficace ed utilissima per chi è abituato a swappare tra una tab e la precedente.
idream 0 2017-08-07: Ilike work with fullscreen,it is very nice for switch tabs between differents tabs.
idream 0 2017-08-07: Ilike work with fullscreen,it is very nice for switch tabs between differents tabs.
Anonymous 2017-07-07: Must have!
starrychloe S. 2017-04-15: Seems to work. Just using CTRL-Y instead. Ah, just stopped working!
starrychloe S. 2017-04-15: Seems to work. Just using CTRL-Y instead. Ah, just stopped working!
Vitali Liubarski 2017-04-05: doesn't work in chrom

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