How To Restore Closed Tabs In Google Chrome [2026 Guide]

Accidentally closing a tab or even an entire window in Chrome happens to everyone. You can bring them back quickly with built-in options that cover single tabs and full sessions. I’ll walk you through the fastest methods I use.

Restore Closed Tabs In Google Chrome [2026 Guide]

Keyboard shortcut

First, the magic shortcut is the quickest way to reopen closed tabs.

Windows/Linux: Ctrl + Shift + T
Mac: Command + Shift + T

Press the shortcut again to restore the previous tab, moving back through your tab history in the exact order you closed them. This is my go-to when I close something by mistake and want it back fast.

If you want Chrome to bring tabs back after a full restart without you pressing anything, see how to restore tabs after a restart.

Use the history menu

Open the three vertical dots in the upper right of Chrome.

Hover your cursor over History to open the side list of Recently closed items.

Click the tab you want and it will reopen.

If Chrome keeps opening new tabs unexpectedly while you work, fix that behavior with these steps here: stop Chrome from opening new tabs.

Restore entire sessions

Open the Chrome menu and click History.

In the History panel or page, find the Recently closed section.

Click the entry that shows a window with a number of tabs to reopen the entire window at once. You can scroll to find sessions from prior days too.

If the Restore Pages prompt gets in your way after crashes or restarts, you can hide the Restore Pages popup.

Use extensions for session safety

If you want extra insurance so closed tabs are rare, add extensions like Session Buddy or OneTab.

These tools make it simple to save full tab sessions and bring them back when needed. They are especially useful for big research sessions or multitasking with lots of tabs.

Final thoughts

Restoring closed tabs in Chrome is easy once you know the shortcuts and the History menu. Use the keyboard shortcut for speed, the menu for precise picks, and extensions for fuller session management. The next time a tab or window disappears, take a breath and open it right back up.