How to go between tabs in Chrome

Google Chrome is one of the most popular web browsers, thanks partly to its tabs. Chrome's simplicity and efficiency also make it the go-to web browser for millions of people. Using tabs makes it easier to navigate between multiple websites. However, these tabs can often become disorganized, making switching between them difficult.

The common way to go between tabs in Chrome on a computer is by simply clicking on the tab you want at the top of the screen. However, there are a couple of other ways to jump between tabs in Google Chrome. An often overlooked way to switch between tabs in Chrome is to use keyboard shortcuts.

Go between tabs in Chrome with shortcuts

These are some of the popular shortcuts to move between tabs in Chrome. They work with both PC and Mac, but instead of using the Ctrl key, you will use the Command key on a Mac.

Move to the next tab in Chrome

You can move one tab forward by pressing your keyboard's Ctrl and Tab keys. If you are on the last tab, it will take you back to the first tab in that window. You can also hold the Ctrl key and tap Tab repeatedly to quickly move several tabs ahead.

Jump back a tab in Chrome

You can also jump back a tab, which is very similar to moving forward. The only difference is that you also press the Shift key. To jump back, press Ctrl, Shift, and Tab. Again, you can press the Tab button multiple times to move more than one tab.

There is even a shortcut to skip all the way to the last tab in Chrome. Just press the Ctrl key followed by the number 9 key. This will automatically move you to the very last Chrome tab in the window.

Go to a specific tab in Chrome

Finally, you can skip to any tab in Google Chrome by using the number keys. Press the Ctrl button followed by its number in the tab bar at the top of the screen. For example, to open the third tab from the left, you will press Ctrl and 3. Unfortunately, this method only has up to eight tabs since the number 9 key takes you to the last tab.

Switch to Incognito tabs in Chrome

Google Chrome has a private browsing mode, which lets you open a new window with its own tabs. Incognito does not store browsing data or use cookies. The downside is that you won't be able to recover any closed tabs. However, no one using the computer can see what you looked up.

Opening a new Incognito window in Chrome only takes a few steps, and you can use all the shortcuts mentioned above to navigate between tabs.

With Google Chrome open, click the menu button on the top right, the icon with three vertical dots.
Next, select New Incognito window from the dropdown menu.
Finally, start browsing as you normally do. When finished, exit the Incognito window.

Go between tabs in Chrome on mobile devices

Google Chrome works a little bit differently on mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets. However, the mobile app still supports using multiple tabs. The only difference is that there are no shortcuts to go between tabs. Additionally, tabs in the smartphone Chrome app are not visible while you are browsing and can only be viewed from the "Tabs" page. Although Google did test making tabs visible on the smartphone app, it never caught on.

Click on the square in the bottom menu of the Chrome app.
Select an app to open, or swipe left to view Incognito apps.

Managing tabs in Google Chrome

It is easy to get overrun with tabs in Google Chrome, but keyboard shortcuts make it easier to jump between them. However, you should still try to limit the number of open tabs. Open tabs not only make it difficult to navigate, but they also eat up a ton of RAM. Another handy feature is that you can find previously closed tabs in your browser history and pickup right where you left off. If you are having trouble finding an app you remember leaving open in a Chrome app, don't forget to check the Incognito section.