How to Open Closed tabs (Desktop & Mobile)

Accidentally closed a tab or a whole window? Most browsers let you bring them back with a quick shortcut or a couple of clicks. Below are simple, reliable ways to reopen closed tabs on Windows, macOS, iPhone, iPad, and Android, plus tips to restore a previous session and avoid losing tabs again.

Quick shortcut (works in most browsers)

Windows/Linux: Press Ctrl + Shift + T
macOS: Press Command (⌘) + Shift + T
Press the shortcut multiple times to step back through recently closed tabs. If no tabs are left to restore, most browsers reopen the last closed window.

Note: These actions usually don’t work in Incognito/InPrivate/Private browsing.

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Microsoft Edge (Windows & macOS)

Reopen the last closed tab

1. Right-click an empty area of the tab bar and select Reopen closed tab.
2. Or open Settings and more (···) > History, then choose from Recently closed.
3. Shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + T (Windows) or ⌘ + Shift + T (Mac).

Restore your previous session at startup

1. Go to Settings > Start, home, and new tabs.
2. Under When Edge starts, choose Open tabs from the previous session.

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Google Chrome (Windows & macOS)

Reopen the last closed tab

1. Select More (⋮) > History > Recently closed and pick the tab or window.
2. Shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + T (Windows) or ⌘ + Shift + T (Mac).

Continue where you left off

1. Go to Settings > On startup.
2. Select Continue where you left off.

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Mozilla Firefox (Windows & macOS)

Reopen the last closed tab

1. Select Menu (≡) > History > Recently Closed Tabs and choose the tab.
2. Shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + T (Windows) or ⌘ + Shift + T (Mac).

Restore the previous session

1. Select Menu (≡) > History.
2. Choose Restore Previous Session (or reopen from Recently Closed Windows).

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Safari on Mac

Reopen the last closed tab or window

1. Select History > Reopen Last Closed Tab (shortcut ⌘ + Shift + T).
2. To bring back a whole window, select History > Reopen Last Closed Window.
3. To fully restore what you had, select History > Reopen All Windows from Last Session.

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iPhone & iPad

Safari

• In a tab view or the tab bar, touch and hold the “+” (New Tab) button, then tap Reopen Last Closed Tab.
• Or open Bookmarks/History, find the page, and tap it to reopen.

Chrome

• Tap More (⋮) > Recent Tabs, then select the site.
• If you were signed in and sync is on, you can also find tabs from other devices here.

Edge

• Tap More (⋯) > History > Recently closed, then pick the tab to restore.

Firefox

• Tap Menu (≡) > History > Recently closed (if available), then choose the tab.

Note: Private browsing tabs generally cannot be restored once closed.

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Android

Chrome

• Tap More (⋮) > Recent tabs, then choose the tab or a recently closed window list.

Edge

• Tap More (⋯) > History > Recently closed, then select your tab.

Firefox

• Tap Menu (≡) > History > Recently closed, then pick the tab.

Samsung Internet

• Tap Menu (≡) > History > Recently closed, then select the tab to reopen.

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If the shortcut or menu doesn’t work

• Check private mode: Incognito/InPrivate/Private sessions don’t keep a restore list.
• Try the menu path: Use the browser’s History > Recently closed list.
• Update the browser: Older versions may not restore windows correctly after a crash.
• Check policies: On work or school devices, administrators may disable history.

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Prevent losing tabs next time

• Enable session restore:
  • Edge: Settings > Start, home, and new tabs > Open tabs from the previous session.
  • Chrome: Settings > On startup > Continue where you left off.
  • Firefox: Menu > Settings > General > Startup > Open previous windows and tabs.
  • Safari (Mac): Safari > Settings > General > Safari opens with: All windows from last session (version dependent).
• Bookmark all open tabs:
  • Windows: Ctrl + Shift + D
  • Mac: ⌘ + Shift + D
• Pin critical tabs: Right-click a tab and choose Pin (supported in most desktop browsers).
• Turn on sync: Sign in and enable sync so tabs and history are available across devices.

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Summary

1. Use Ctrl/⌘ + Shift + T to reopen closed tabs (press repeatedly to go back further; often restores windows too).
2. Use History > Recently closed to pick specific tabs or windows.
3. Turn on session restore/continue where you left off to bounce back after restarts.
4. Private browsing tabs won’t restore; use bookmarks or pinned tabs for must-keep pages.