Popup Tab Switcher
Popup Tab Switcher helps users switch between tabs and remembers the order in which tabs were active.
About Popup Tab Switcher
Popup Tab Switcher is a browser extension for Chrome that remembers the order in which tabs were active. It shows a popup list of recently used tabs that can be navigated by keyboard without using a mouse.
It uses Alt+Y to move from recent to older tabs and Alt+Shift+Y in the reverse direction, activating the selection when Alt is released. It does not show its popup on Chrome Web Store pages and has limited behavior on special Chrome pages, unfocused pages, and file:// pages without extra permission.
Key features
- Remembers the order in which tabs were active
- Selects tabs with Alt+Y and Alt+Shift+Y
- Activates selected tab when Alt key is released
- Switches to previous tab when current tab closes
- Adjusts popup width, height, font, and icon size
- Offers dark theme and auto-switching timeout setting
Best for: People who work with many Chrome tabs and want to switch by keyboard in recent-use order.
Good for
- Switches between recently active tabs by keyboard without a mouse
- Returns to previously active tab when a tab is closed
- Popup appearance and behavior can be adjusted in settings
Watch out for
- Does not work on Chrome Web Store pages
- Popup is not shown on special Chrome tabs such as Settings, New tab, or History
- Cannot work on file:// pages without enabling file URL access
Popup Tab Switcher at a glance
- Category
- Software & Utilities › Browser Extensions
- Type
- Open-source project
- Pricing
- Not confirmed. Check the site
- Platforms
- Browser extension, macOS, Windows
- Open source
- Not stated
- Language
- English
- Last checked
- Oct 5, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 5, 2026
Guides for Browser Extensions
Popup Tab Switcher alternatives
Tools and sites you could use instead, ranked by how closely they match.
Simple Tab Groups lets Firefox users create, modify, and quickly switch between tab groups.
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TabCopy copies the current tab, a window’s tabs, or all tabs to the clipboard in formats such as URLs, Markdown, CSV, JSON, and HTML.
Automatically close unused tabs with Tab Wrangler, a browser extension intended to keep attention on the tabs currently in use.
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24 alternatives
Auto Tab Discard uses native tab discarding to reduce memory use by inactive browser tabs.
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SnoozeTabs is a Firefox add-on for postponing tabs, letting them be set aside for a while before returning to them.
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24 alternatives
Tangram is designed to organize and run web applications in persistent, pinned tabs.
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24 alternativesPopular in Browser Extensions
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Popup Tab Switcher FAQ
What are the default shortcuts?
Alt+Y selects tabs from recent to old, and Alt+Shift+Y selects from old to recent. Release the Alt key to activate the selected tab.
How do I dismiss the switcher without switching?
Press Escape or click on the space around the popup to hide it.
How do I make it work on file pages?
Turn on Allow access to file URLs in Extensions > Popup Tab Switcher (Details).
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