# Panic Button

> Quickly hide all browser windows with a click of a button.

Canonical page: [https://chrome-stats.com/d/panic-button](https://chrome-stats.com/d/panic-button)

## Overview

- **ID:** `panic-button`
- **Platform:** Firefox
- **Type:** Firefox add-on
- **Status:** Available
- **Publisher:** AE Creations
- **Category:** privacy-security
- **Daily users:** 1,892
- **Weekly downloads:** 33
- **Rating:** 4.21 / 5 (38 ratings)
- **Version:** 5.1.3
- **Last updated:** 2025-11-11
- **First published:** 2008-04-10
- **Size:** 331 KB
- **Data as of:** 2026-09-08
- **Store listing:** [Firefox Add-ons Store](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/panic-button/)
- **Website:** [https://groups.io/g/aecreations-help](https://groups.io/g/aecreations-help)

## Description

Panic Button for Chrome lets you quickly hide all open browser windows with a single click and replace them with a page you specify. Press the toolbar button or F8 to toggle back to your original session, giving you a fast way to hide your browsing activity when needed.

Choose from multiple actions (Hide and Replace, Minimize All Windows, Minimize Current Window, or Close All Windows), customize the toolbar button with captions and icons (20 built-in images or your own file), and enable language support in English and Polish. You can also contribute translations to expand language coverage.

## Rankings

- #2,241 — Overall
- #38 — button for google
- #38 — tons

## Permissions and access

### Permissions

- `cookies`
- `menus`
- `storage`
- `tabs`
- `tabGroups`

## Safety

- **Risk impact:** Moderate risk impact
- **Risk likelihood:** Moderate risk likelihood

### Analysis details

- Grants access to browser tabs, which can be used to track user browsing habits and history, presenting a privacy concern.
- This extension has low user count. Unpopular extensions may not be stable or safe.

> Some risk analysis details are omitted from this free response. [Upgrade to view the full analysis](https://chrome-stats.com/pricing).

## Review summary

Users appreciate Panic Button for its quick and effective tab hiding and privacy features, along with customization options and shortcut support. However, multiple reviews report issues including tabs reappearing on Firefox restart, loss of tabs especially with many open, problems after updates such as unpinning, and inconsistent behavior in private windows. Users also desire additional functionalities like window minimization and enhanced control over restored tabs.

### Pros

- Effectively hides and restores tabs quickly, enhancing privacy.
- Simple and useful functionality appreciated by users.
- Customizable options for toolbar button captions and icons are available.
- Works well with keyboard shortcuts for quick operation.
- Useful for managing privacy by hiding tabs rapidly.

### Cons

- Tabs are restored when Firefox reopens, which undermines privacy.
- Issues restoring or losing tabs reported, especially with many tabs.
- Problems with functionality after updates; e.g., unpinning pinned pages after unhiding tabs.
- 'Close all windows' feature does not work consistently in private windows.
- Requests for additional features like minimizing windows or opening custom webpages are unmet.

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Source: [Chrome-Stats](https://chrome-stats.com/d/panic-button)