SimpleTabOrder

A simple way to control the tab order of the browser.

SimpleTabOrder is a lightweight Chrome extension designed to give you full control over your browser's tab ordering. With this tool, you can easily change where new tabs open and decide which tab gains focus when the active tab closes. The extension is event page enabled, meaning it only loads when necessary to optimize browser performance. While still in its early stages, SimpleTabOrder welcomes user feedback to further improve functionality and fix any bugs. Customize your browsing experience with SimpleTabOrder and streamline your tab management.

Manifest V2 Extension
By:
https://blandlifedev.blogspot.com
Users:
3,000
Rating:
4.21
(67)
Version:
0.5.16 Last updated: 2021-06-13
Creation date:
2018-02-13
Risk:
Very low risk impact Low risk likelihood
Size:
28.03KB
Email:
bl*****@gmail.com
URLs:
Website
Full description:
See detailed description
Source:
Chrome Web Store
Data ingested on:
2025-07-15

User reviews

SimpleTabOrder is praised for its straightforward and effective tab management, notably maintaining usability after Chrome updates that broke similar extensions. Users appreciate the option to open tabs at desired positions and the reliability during browsing sessions. However, multiple users report problems with tab ordering inconsistencies after browser restarts, difficulties when tabs are manually rearranged, and minor usability issues like lack of quick-settings access and occasional lag when opening background tabs. Concerns about future support due to outdated extension manifest were also noted.
Pros
  • Simple and functional interface that works as expected.
  • Effectively manages new tab positioning and tab activation after closing tabs.
  • Compatible with recent Chrome updates (especially version 91) unlike many alternatives.
  • Supports opening new tabs at the far right or next to the current tab, enhancing productivity.
  • Free from virus warnings and trusted by users.
Cons
  • Inconsistent behavior after browser restarts; tabs may reorder unexpectedly or get reversed.
  • Issues occur when manually moving tabs; extension may misbehave or not recognize tab positions correctly.
  • Lacks a convenient quick-access popup for changing settings; users must open the settings page.
  • May be laggy or briefly switch to new tabs when opening in background at the far right.
  • Extension might not be updated to Manifest V3, raising future compatibility concerns.
Recent reviews
I love this extension so much, but Chrome has disabled it, saying "This extension is no longer available because it doesn't follow best practices for Chrome extensions." Does anyone know an alternative, or whether the developer might be interested in fixing whatever Chrome thinks is wrong with it?
by Jo*****, 2025-07-14

Excelente!!
by Jo*****, 2025-03-30

Mostly works as intended with Brave. But oddly the "open in background" with "position far right end of all tabs" can be laggy and it switches to the new tab before reverting to the current ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
by Um*****, 2025-02-07
View all user reviews ›

Extension safety

Risk impact
Risk impact measures the level of extra permissions an extension has access to. A low risk impact extension cannot do much harms, whereas a high risk impact extension can do a lot of damage like stealing your password, bypassing your security settings, and accessing your personal data. High risk impact extensions are not necessarily malicious. However, if they do turn malicious, they can be very harmful.

SimpleTabOrder does not require any sensitive permissions.

Risk impact analysis details
  • Low This permission has no access or impact on the user's system or data, thus carrying no risk.
Risk likelihood
Risk likelihood measures the probability that a Chrome extension may turn malicious. This is determined by the publisher and the Chrome extension reputation on Chrome Web Store, the amount of time the Chrome extension has been around, and other signals about the Chrome extension. Our algorithms are not perfect, and are subject to change as we discover new ways to detect malicious extensions. We recommend that you always exercise caution when installing a Chrome extension.

SimpleTabOrder has earned a fairly good reputation and likely can be trusted.

Risk likelihood analysis details
  • High This extension has low user count. Unpopular extensions may not be stable or safe.
  • Low **** ********* *** ******* **** **** * ****** **** ***** ******** *** **** ****** ** ** ****** *** *****
  • Low **** ********* *** ***** **** **** * ****** **** ***** ********** *** **** ****** ** ** ****** *** *****
  • Good **** ********* *** **** **** *******
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