New tabs open immediately instead of in the background

Latest Version

Version

3.2.1

Update

May 19, 2022

Size

6.14KiB

Developer

Tab Activate Extension

Concerns Regarding Required Permissions

Please read the detailed description of required permissions (below) and why they are necessary. Without them, Tab Activate could not work as described. Absolutely no data is changed or collected.

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Description

When you open a link in a new tab, Chrome opens the new tab in the background and provides no option to switch to it immediately.

With Tab Activate, new tabs open immediately instead of in the background.

To override Tab Activate and open a new tab in the background, press the Shift key while opening the new tab. Note: Override does not work for bookmarks.

Tab Activate effectively reverses Chrome's new tab focus behavior.

In other browsers, this setting is called: \"When you open a link in a new tab, switch to it immediately.\"

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Required Permissions

Read and change all your data on the websites you visit:
Required to detect when the Shift key is pressed (no website data is read or changed)

Due to limitations in the Chrome extension API, the only way to detect if the Shift key is being pressed is with the required permissions. Absolutely no data is changed or collected.

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Changes

Version 3.2
Refactored code.
No longer requires bookmarks permission (bookmarks still work).

Version 3.1
Improved Shift key detection when the window loses focus.
Improved error handling.
Fixed a console error.

Version 3.0
Updated to Chrome Manifest V3.

Version 2.1
New icon.
Fixed issues created by Chrome 79 extension API changes.

Version 2.0
As requested, bookmarks are now supported.

Version 1.2
New tabs open to the right of the previous tab and new background tabs open at the end.

Version 1.1
Shift key overrides Tab Activate and opens new tabs in the background.

Version 1.0
Initial release.

Source Manifest.json

{ "background": { "service_worker": "background.js" }, "content_scripts": [ { "js": [ "content.js" ], "matches": [ "" ], "run_at": "document_idle" } ], "description": "New tabs open immediately instead of in the background", "icons": { "128": "icon128.png", "48": "icon48.png" }, "manifest_version": 3, "name": "Tab Activate", "permissions": [ "tabs" ], "update_url": "https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx", "version": "3.2.1"}

Download CRX(6.14KiB)

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User reviews

Gary Quiring (ID: 000000b990739f6c) Voted 5 ★ - Updated 11/20/2024 No longer working with Facebook. It opens new tabs with blank results.

Patrick Nelson (ID: 0000003d47f694da) Voted 2 ★ - Updated 06/13/2024 Edit: Seems very buggy now in newer versions of chrome (currently at v126.x). I have to keep manually disabling/enabling the extension in order to get it to start properly opening new tabs. --- Extremely simple. Works better than "Switch To New Tab" which I've used for years. I'm a developer, so I audited the code and can verify that it's extremely simple and doesn't do anything with it's access. In fact, it really doesn't need the requested permissions, because pressing shift when clicking opens in a new window anyway, so it has no practical effect anymore. That's why I reduced this by 1 star. It requires permissions it doesn't really actually need (at least not anymore). The author should update this!

Xen Uno (ID: 0000001a645c0665) Voted 5 ★ - Updated 11/04/2023 Operates well with Open Last Tab. Well done! Slowly bringing Tab Mix + functionality to Chrome/Brave piece by piece

Mithilesh TEELOCK (ID: 0000008aa978eef2) Voted 5 ★ - Updated 08/27/2023 @teel0ck

Robert Paulsen (ID: 000000b2b5ed3398) Voted 5 ★ - Updated 07/30/2023 In other browsers, this setting is called: "When you open a link in a new tab, switch to it immediately." That better describes what is the essential behavior of this extension. I care little if it is slightly less than immediate -- take whatever time is needed to open the link, but switch to it when you do.

Get source code (.Zip)

Drop .crx file here or click
the button to choose the file

Tab Activate