Tab-strip order
A · B · C
After moving from A to C, the neighboring tab is B.
Return to the previously active Chrome tab after closing the current tab
Finished checking a link or reading a search result? Close the tab and return to the one you were just using. Install Last Tab Focus and browse as usual. There is nothing to set up.
The tab beside it is not always the tab you came from
When you close a tab, Chrome’s next selection can follow the tab strip rather than your recent path. That can break the simple expectation that closing the current page takes you back to what you were just reading.
Your actual history
A → C → close
Last Tab Focus returns to A, because A was the previously active tab.
One behavior, shown three ways
The extension changes focus only after the current tab closes. It does not add a popup or settings screen.
Close and go back
- Use tab A.
- Move to tab B.
- Close B with Ctrl+W or Command+W.
- Chrome returns to A.
History, not adjacency
Use A, move to C, then close C. The focus returns to A instead of the neighboring tab B.
Close several tabs
After using A → B → C, closing C returns to B. Closing B then returns to A.
It does not reopen closed tabs
Reopening a closed tab brings the closed page back. Last Tab Focus does something narrower: it chooses which already-open tab receives focus after the current tab closes.
Same Chrome window
Focus history is kept separately for each window, so the extension does not jump to another Chrome window.
Not a tab manager
No tab groups, side panel, session manager, saved workspace, account, or sync service.
Local and deliberately small
Tab focus history stays in Chrome’s session storage and is used only to select the previous open tab.
No analytics
No tracking script, cookie, or usage analytics.
No external communication
No API calls, remote service, or external font request.
No browsing data sent
Your tab history is not transmitted anywhere.
Frequently asked questions
How do I try it after installing?
Open two tabs, switch from A to B, then close B. If you return to A, it is working. You do not need to click the extension icon or open a settings screen.
Does it remember my tab order after restarting Chrome?
No. The order resets when Chrome restarts. Switch between tabs to build a new history. Disabling or updating the extension also resets it.
Why did it return to a different tab than I expected?
If there is no earlier tab in its history, such as just after installation, Chrome chooses the next tab as usual. Try switching between two tabs in the same window, then close the current one. If the problem continues, please get in touch below.
How can I report a problem?
Report a bug on GitHub with your Chrome version, extension version, operating system, the order you switched tabs, and what happened when you closed one. You can label tabs A, B and C; page contents and URLs are not needed. If you do not use GitHub, you can send an email.
Does it restore a tab I already closed?
No. Use Chrome’s reopen-closed-tab command for that. Last Tab Focus selects a still-open tab after the current tab closes.
Does it work with Ctrl+W and Command+W?
Yes. It responds when Chrome closes the current tab, whether you use Ctrl+W on Windows/Linux, Command+W on macOS, the tab’s close button, or another standard close action.
Does it move between Chrome windows?
No. It returns to the previously active tab in the same window.
Does it collect data?
No. There is no analytics, tracking, account, external communication, or browsing-data transmission. See the privacy policy for the exact scope.