Skip to content
LogoTechnipages
LogoTechnipages
  • Topics
        • Android
        • Browsers
        • Gaming
        • Hardware
        • Internet
        • iPhone
        • Linux
        • macOS
        • Office
        • Reviews
        • Software
        • Windows
        • Definitions
        • All Recent Posts
  • Product Reviews
  • About

How to Restore a Lost Chrome Session

Mel HawthorneDecember 10, 2019 Comments (3)
Chrome Header

Losing a Google Chrome browser session can be annoying, especially if, on re-launch, your windows and pinned tabs don’t re-open. Them not coming back doesn’t mean they are lost forever though – you may still be able to get them back.

There are several ways to restore tabs and sessions after they were closed or have ended. Here’s how:

  1. Contents

    • 1 Restore From History
    • 2 Restore Via Keyboard Shortcut
    • 3 Restore Entire Session

    Restore From History

In order to find individual tabs that were closed, you can go to your History page. Assuming you weren’t browsing in incognito mode, that’s where you can find the pages you’ve recently visited. Click on the three dots in the top right corner of your window and go to your History.

The history option in the menu

Here, you can see the sites you’ve visited. Clicking on one of them will open that page in a new tab. You can even access tabs from other devices, assuming you were logged in with the same account there.

The history page, featuring your browser history

  1. Restore Via Keyboard Shortcut

Another option to get back lost Chrome tabs is to use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-Shift-T. If you want to achieve the same result, you can also right-click on empty space next to a tab at the top in your window (not directly on a tab), and select the option Reopen Closed Window.

Reopening pages via the top menu bar

Both the shortcut and clicking the relevant option will reopen the last closed window – be aware though, that this may not work depending on the way the last session ended, and how long ago it ended.

  1. Restore Entire Session

Also in the History section of the top-right menu, you can find an option labelled Recently Closed Tabs. It will have an indicator of how many tabs have been closed recently – clicking on that line will reopen those tabs in your current window. This may take a while if you had a lot of them open, especially on slower or weaker computers.

Recently closed tabs – a quick way to reopen

Categories: Internet

Author Mel Hawthorne

You Might Also Like

  • How to Remove Someone From Your Netflix Account

    Judy SanhzInternet
  • What Does X-Frame-Options Do?

    Mel HawthorneInternet
  • Zoom: How to Show the Unread Message Icon

    Mel HawthorneInternet
  • fix google maps not updating location

    Google Photos: How to Eliminate or Edit Your Location

    Judy SanhzInternet

Comments

  1. internet privacy rights says:
    March 15, 2020 at 7:58 am

    Janie there is a way…
    you can just let it go, that’s not a battle worth fighting.
    you can block the websites in question on your network. (though any competent person would get a VPN to bypass this)
    you could disable incognito altogether

  2. Mitch Bartlett says:
    January 15, 2020 at 10:25 pm

    Janie, I don’t think there is anything you can do to find a record of anything in Incognito Mode. I had to disable Incognito Mode in my organization for this very reason.

  3. Janie Zimmerman says:
    January 15, 2020 at 10:18 am

    Hello,

    I’m a teacher with some sneaky students. Is there any way to find an incognito (chrome) window history? I had a student get on an adult site. I saw it but closed the computer and now I can’t find the proof I need for consequences. He, of course, says he hadn’t clicked on the site and it was just a tab that opened.

    Is there anything I can do?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

average laptop lifespan

What Is an Average Laptop Lifespan?

fix 0x80070302 windows update error

How to Fix the 0x80070302 Windows Update Error

how to allocate more memory to a program

How to Allocate More Memory to a Program in Windows

marvel rivals memory leak fix

Marvel Rivals Using Too Much Memory – How to Fix

how to create a macro in word

How to Create a Macro in Word

profile pic

The Experts Behind Technipages

My name is Mitch Bartlett. I've been working in technology for over 20 years in a wide range of tech jobs from Tech Support to Software Testing. I started this site as a technical guide for myself and it has grown into what I hope is a useful reference for all.

Learn More

technipages logo white
linkedin icon

Technipages is part of Guiding Tech Media, a leading digital media publisher focused on helping people figure out technology. Learn more about our mission and team here.

© 2025 Guiding Tech Media All Rights Reserved

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Legal & Privacy

© 2025 Guiding Tech Media All Rights Reserved

Information from your device can be used to personalize your ad experience.
Do not sell my personal information.

Last Updated on December 10, 2019 by Mitch Bartlett