Switch and reopen Chrome tabs on Mac
In Chrome on Mac, Command-T opens a tab and Command-Shift-T restores recently closed tabs. Command-Option-Right Arrow and Left Arrow move between open tabs; Command-W closes the current one.
Google Chrome · Reviewed 2026-11-05 · Review method
Platform, keyboard and verification notes
- Scope
- Google Chrome · Chrome for Mac; Google documentation checked 4 November 2026. Desktop browser, not ChromeOS.
- Keyboard and customization
- English documentation and US-style key names. Punctuation and function keys can differ on other layouts.. These are documentation-backed defaults, not a hands-on test. App settings, operating-system shortcuts, extensions and keyboard layout can change what happens. Check focus and the current app menu or shortcut settings when a binding differs.
- Review basis
- Documentation reviewed 2026-11-05 by Codex — source and editorial review; no runtime test. These bindings were not tested in a running app for this guide.
Mac shortcuts for this workflow
| Action | Keys | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Open a tab | Command-T | Start a separate browsing task in the current window. Source ↗ |
| Next tab | Command-Option-Right Arrow | Move along the existing tab strip. Source ↗ |
| Previous tab | Command-Option-Left Arrow | Return to the neighboring tab. Source ↗ |
| Reopen closed tabs | Command-Shift-T | Recover recently closed tabs in their closing order. Source ↗ |
| Close this tab | Command-W | Close the selected tab or pop-up, not every window. Source ↗ |
Choose between switching and reopening
Switching only visits tabs that are still open. Reopening brings back a tab that was closed. Before creating another copy of a website, look along the tab strip and try moving one tab in each direction. A duplicate can have a different login, draft or navigation history, so it is worth finding the original first.
Recover a research page
For example, keep a source article and a notes website in separate tabs. If you close the article, restore it once, verify its title, and continue. Do not press the restore shortcut repeatedly without checking: each press may bring back another item, and you can quickly reopen unrelated browsing from earlier work.
Check the window before closing
Command-W acts on the currently selected tab. Click into the intended Chrome window and read the active tab title before closing anything important. Unsaved website work depends on that website, not on this shortcut reference. Practice with two disposable tabs first, then switch, close one and restore it to confirm which tab receives focus.
Sources and corrections
- Chrome keyboard shortcuts — Google Chrome Help — checked 2026-11-04
Found a mismatch? Email pashaseenainc@gmail.com with your app version, macOS version, keyboard layout and the command. Please leave personal document names out.
Keep going
Right there when you need it.
Keep a compact shortcut reference in your Mac’s menu bar.
Explore the native Mac app