New tabs open immediately instead of in the background
Users
50K
0 in 30 days
Rating
4.1 / 5
+0.07 in 30 days
Ratings
278
0 in 30 days
Store rank
#3,396
#2,964 among extensions
Version
4.0.0
updated 13 Jul 2026
Users
monthly, 3 years
Latest, 15 Oct 2026:50,000 usersMove the mouse over the chart for any month
Ratings count
monthly, 3 years
Latest, 15 Oct 2026:278 ratingsMove the mouse over the chart for any month
The Chrome Web Store rounds user counts down to the leading digit, so the user line moves in steps. The ratings count is exact and is the better signal of real adoption.
About Tab Activate
Opening a link in a new tab can happen several ways:
- Middle-click
- Control + click
- Right-click > Open link in new tab
- Website design
- and more
Chrome opens these new tabs in the background and provides no option to switch to them 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.
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 4.0
Updated code for current API.
Improved startup behavior with saved tabs.
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.
Growth
Window
Users
Change
Ratings
Rating
7 days
0
+0.0%
0
+0.07
30 days
0
+0.0%
0
+0.07
6 months
0
+0.0%
+4
+0.07
1 year
0
+0.0%
+9
+0.04
Chrome Web Store search rankings
Where Tab Activate appears when people search the store, with the 30 day change