[Tip] Enable Tab Search Feature in Google Chrome Browser

If you use Google Chrome web browser, you’ll find this tip useful. When you open many tabs in Chrome browser, it becomes very hard to find a tab as the tab size/width becomes very small in tab bar. Only website icon (also known as favicon) is displayed on tabs and you need to switch to many tabs one by one to find the required tab.

To solve this problem, Google has added a very useful feature to Chrome web browser which is called “Tab Search“.

Tab Search feature adds a new “Drop-down arrow” icon or button to Chrome tab bar or titlebar. This button can be used to search in all running tabs. You just need to click on the Tab Search button in Chrome toolbar and it’ll show a fly-out or popup bubble UI containing a list of all running tabs along with their titles and URLs. You can easily select a tab from the list to immediately switch to it or you can type desired text in given search box to find the correct tab.

Following screenshot shows new Tab Search feature in action in Google Chrome web browser:

This Tab Search feature is available in Chrome 88 and later versions only. Also by default the Tab Search feature is deactivated and disabled. Interested users need to manually activate and enable it by modifying a secret preference/flag.

If you also want to enable Tab Search feature right now in Google Chrome web browser, following steps will help you:

1. Open Google Chrome web browser and type chrome://flags/ in addressbar and press Enter. It’ll open the advanced configuration page.

2. Now type tab search in the “Search flags” box.

It’ll directly go to following option:

3. To enable Tab Search feature in Chrome, select Enabled from the drop-down box.

4. Google Chrome will ask you to restart the browser. Click on “Relaunch now” button to restart Google Chrome.

That’s it. You have successfully activated and enabled Tab Search feature in Google Chrome.

Now you’ll see a new drop-down arrow button showing in Chrome tab bar which will help you in searching through all running tabs.

PS: In future, if you decide to disable Tab Search feature, select “Default” option from the drop-down box for above mentioned option and restart the browser.

NOTE: If you use Microsoft Edge browser, you can take help of following tutorial to enable Tab Search feature in Edge:

[Tip] Enable Tab Search, Sharing Hub and Full Dark Mode in InPrivate Mode in Microsoft Edge

Also Check:

[Tip] Remove “Search Tabs” Arrow Button from Title bar in Google Chrome

[Tip] How to Disable Tab Groups Feature in Google Chrome

[Tip] Enable or Disable Search Tips and Suggestions Buttons in Google Chrome Address bar

[New Working Method] Remove “Extensions” Menu Button from Google Chrome Toolbar