KeeptabChrome closed all your tabs after an update: how to get them back
Published
In short: When you select Relaunch after an update, Chrome saves your open tabs and windows and reopens them automatically.[1] Incognito windows don't come back.[1] If a window is missing, press Ctrl+Shift+T (⌘+Shift+T on Mac) or open History.
Chrome asked you to relaunch, you clicked, and the twenty tabs you had open are gone. Usually they aren't lost. Here's where to look.
What Chrome does when it updates
Updates normally happen in the background when you close and reopen the browser.[1] When you select Relaunch from More > Help > About Google Chrome, the browser saves your open tabs and windows and reopens them automatically.[1]
Two exceptions catch people out:
- Incognito windows never reopen after a restart.[1]
- Closing Chrome yourself is different. If you quit the browser to apply the update, what comes back depends on your startup setting.[2]
Get your tabs back
- Press Ctrl+Shift+T (⌘+Shift+T on Mac). It reopens the last closed tabs in the order they were closed. More in how to reopen a closed tab.
- Open History with Ctrl+H (⌘+Y on Mac) and look at recently closed.
Next time: update without the scare
- Set More > Settings > On startup > Continue where you left off. Chrome then reopens the pages you were looking at when you quit.[2] Details in Continue where you left off.
- Not a good moment? Select Not now. The update applies the next time you restart Chrome.[1]
- On Windows, the update applies once you close all Chrome windows and tabs and relaunch.[1] Save what matters first.
Close tabs without fear. Keeptab saves your tabs in one click, backs them up every hour and notes your open tabs every 5 minutes. Free for Chrome.
Add to Chrome — it's freeKeep a copy that doesn't depend on a restart
Keeptab, our free Chrome extension, notes your open tabs every 5 minutes and backs up your lists every hour.[3] If a restart goes wrong, your tabs are still on the list, searchable by word, date or site.[3]
FAQ
Does Chrome keep my tabs after an update?
Yes, when you select Relaunch, Chrome saves your open tabs and windows and reopens them automatically. Incognito windows don't reopen.
How do I get my tabs back after Chrome restarts?
Press Ctrl+Shift+T, or Command+Shift+T on Mac, to reopen the last closed tabs, or look in History.
Can I delay a Chrome update?
Yes. Select Not now, and the update applies the next time you restart Chrome.
Sources
- Google Chrome Help. Update Google Chrome. https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95414?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop
- Google Chrome Help. Set your homepage and startup page. https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95314?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop
- Keeptab. The OneTab alternative to stop losing your tabs. https://keep-tab.com/onetab-alternative
Close tabs without fear
Keeptab saves your tabs in one click, backs them up every hour and notes your open tabs every 5 minutes. Free for Chrome.
Add to Chrome — it's free