Ctrl+Tab MRU

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

What is Ctrl+Tab MRU?

'Ctrl+Tab MRU' is a powerful Chrome extension that enhances your browsing experience by allowing you to navigate through tabs in the order you have visited them last. By customizing key combinations, you can easily switch between pages, even if they are on special pages like Chrome Web Store, PDFs, and XML files. However, there might be a minor drawback with the need for a temporary tab and occasional issues if the control key is released quickly. This extension requires certain permissions for full functionality, but ensures smooth tab management. Regular updates have been provided to keep this extension in line with the latest demands and developments.

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Stats

By: Daniel Calliess

View on Chrome Web Store

Users: 2,000+

Rating: 3.48 (114)

Version: 0.9 (Last updated: 2023-10-12)

Creation date: 2016-03-22

Risk impact: High risk impact

Risk likelihood: Very low risk likelihood

Manifest version: 3

Permissions:

tabs
scripting
storage

Host permissions:

<all_urls>

Size: 15.56K

Email: su*****@flansch.at

Stats date:

Chrome-Stats Rank

# 18055 ▲ 12

Other rankings

#3630 in Workflow & Planning ▼ 2

#77 in tab keyword 86 ▲ 27

#129 in detect keyword 17 ▼ 3

#154 in switch keyword 33 ▲ 5

#179 in release keyword 29 ▲ 8

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Other platforms

Not available on Firefox

Not available on Edge

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Summary

Analyze keywords

'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:

User reviews

User reviews summary

These summaries are automatically generated weekly using AI based on recent user reviews. Chrome Web Store does not verify user reviews, so some user reviews may be inaccurate, spammy, or outdated.

Pros

Allows for customization of keyboard shortcuts
Useful for quickly switching between tabs
Works for some users on different platforms

Cons

Does not work for some users, especially on Mac
Glitches and bugs reported by multiple users
Inconsistent behavior with not all open tabs being shown
Difficulty in setup and configuration

Most mentioned

Glitches and bugs
Does not work on Mac
Customization of keyboard shortcuts

Recent reviews

Does not work

Alexy G, 2015-12-07

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.

Alex D, 2024-03-14

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.

Alex D, 2024-03-14

View all user reviews

Safety

Risk impact

Ctrl+Tab MRU is risky to use as it requires a number of sensitive permissions that can potentially harm your browser and steal your data. Exercise caution when installing this extension. Review carefully before installing. We recommend that you only install Ctrl+Tab MRU if you trust the publisher.