Tab groups let you bundle related tabs together and collapse them to clear your screen
Chrome tab groups are a built-in feature that lets you gather multiple tabs under a single label and color. Instead of hunting through 15 open tabs, you can collapse a group down to one labeled button. You can create a group right now by right-clicking any tab, selecting "Add tab to new group", naming it, and picking a color. The group appears as a folder-like button on your tab bar, and you can expand or collapse it by clicking the button.
Tab groups stay open as long as your browser session runs. If you close Chrome completely, the groups close too — unless you have Chrome set to reopen your last session when you start it again. Groups are stored locally on your device, not synced across your phone or other computers, so they only appear on the browser where you created them.
Key Takeaways
- Right-click any tab and choose "Add tab to new group" to start a group, then name it and pick a color.
- Drag tabs into an existing group by dragging them onto the group button, or right-click and select the group name from the menu.
- Click the group button to collapse all tabs in that group into a single button, freeing up space on your tab bar.
- Tab groups disappear when you close Chrome unless you have "Continue where you left off" turned on in your settings.
Creating your first tab group
The fastest way to make a group is to right-click on any open tab. A menu appears with several options. Look for "Add tab to new group" near the bottom. Click it, and a dialog box opens asking you to name the group and choose a color. Type a name that describes what the tabs are for — "Work Project", "Shopping", "Research" — then pick a color from the palette. The color is purely visual and helps you spot groups at a glance. Click "Create" or press Enter, and the tab moves into the new group.
The group appears as a labeled button on your tab bar. If you created a group called "Shopping" with a red color, you will see a red button labeled "Shopping" where your tabs used to be. The tab that was open when you created the group is now inside that button. You can see how many tabs are in the group by looking at the number that appears on the button — for example, "Shopping (3)" means three tabs are grouped together.
Adding more tabs to an existing group
Once you have a group, you can add new tabs to it in two ways. The first is to drag and drop: click and hold a tab you want to move, then drag it onto the group button and release. The tab slides into the group. The second way is to right-click the tab, hover over "Add tab to group", and a submenu appears showing all your existing groups. Click the group name, and the tab moves in immediately.
You can also create a group from tabs that are already open. Select multiple tabs by holding Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) and clicking each tab you want to group. Right-click one of the selected tabs and choose "Add tabs to new group". All the selected tabs move into a single new group at once. This is useful if you realize halfway through your session that several tabs belong together.
Collapsing and expanding groups
The main reason to use tab groups is to collapse them and reclaim tab bar space. Click the group button once to collapse it. All the tabs inside fold away, and the button shrinks to show just the label and color. Click it again to expand the group and see all the tabs inside. This is especially helpful when you are working on multiple projects at once — collapse the groups you are not using right now, and expand only the one you are focused on.
When a group is collapsed, you can still right-click the group button to see a list of all the tabs inside without expanding it. This is handy if you want to jump to a specific tab without opening the whole group. Select the tab name from the list, and it opens while the group stays collapsed.
Changing group names and colors
Right-click the group button to open a menu with options to edit the group. Select "Edit group" to change the name or color. A dialog box appears with the current name highlighted. Type a new name and pick a different color if you want. Click "Save" or press Enter to apply the changes. The group button updates immediately with the new name and color.
You can also rename a group by double-clicking the group button directly. The name becomes editable, and you can type a new one. Press Enter to save. This is faster if you only want to change the name and do not need to pick a new color.
What happens to groups when you close Chrome
Tab groups are temporary by default. When you close Chrome completely, the groups disappear along with all your open tabs. However, if you have Chrome set to reopen your last session, the groups and tabs will come back the next time you open the browser. To turn this on, open Chrome Settings, click "On startup" in the left menu, and select "Continue where you left off". Now when you close and reopen Chrome, your groups and tabs return exactly as they were.
If you close a single tab or group by mistake, you can undo it immediately by pressing Ctrl+Shift+T (or Cmd+Shift+T on Mac). This keyboard shortcut reopens the last closed tab or group. You can press it multiple times to reopen several tabs in reverse order.
Tab groups do not sync across devices
Tab groups are stored only on the computer where you create them. If you sign into Chrome on your phone or a different computer, your groups will not appear there. Your bookmarks, passwords, and browsing history sync across devices, but tab groups do not. This is by design — groups are meant to organize your current session, not to be a permanent record you carry everywhere.
If you want to save a set of tabs to use on another device, bookmark them instead. Select all the tabs in a group, right-click one of them, and choose "Bookmark all tabs". Chrome creates a folder in your bookmarks with all the URLs. That folder syncs to your other devices, and you can open all the bookmarks at once on any computer or phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I move a tab from one group to another?
Yes. Drag the tab out of its current group and drop it onto the new group button. Or right-click the tab, hover over "Add tab to group", and select the new group name. The tab moves immediately.
What if I want to delete a group but keep the tabs?
Right-click the group button and select "Ungroup". All the tabs inside the group stay open on your tab bar, but the group itself disappears. The tabs are no longer bundled together.
Can I lock a tab so it does not close by accident?
Yes, but this is separate from tab groups. Right-click any tab and select "Pin tab". A pinned tab moves to the far left of your tab bar and stays open even if you close other tabs. You can pin tabs inside or outside of groups.
Do tab groups take up extra memory?
No. Tab groups are just a way of organizing tabs visually. They do not use additional memory or affect how fast Chrome runs. The memory usage depends on how many tabs you have open, not how they are organized.