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How To Get Tabs Back In Chrome Android 5.0 Lollipop
Nov 19, 2014MobileComments (46)
In the latest version of Chrome released with Android 5.0 Lollipop, Google is trying out a new feature where Chrome tabs are now merged with recent tasks in the app switcher. The tab menu is gone from the browser and you now switch between browser window tabs using the system-wide app switcher.

If you prefer the original functionality, it is easy to change it back. Just follow these steps.

Step 1
On any Chrome window, tap the 3 dots in the upper-right:

Chrome Android Tabs


Step 2
Tap "Settings" (you may have to scroll down):

Chrome Android Tabs


Step 3
Tap "Merge tabs and apps":

Chrome Android Tabs


Step 4
Tap the toggle in the upper-right to the off position:

Chrome Android Tabs


Step 5
Hit "OK" in the dialog window that pops up, and Chrome will restart:

Chrome Android Tabs


Chrome will now use tabs like it did before, and each tab will not show up as a separate task in the Android app switcher.
Comments (46)
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Dan Beahm and The Invisible Three   Jan 24, 2017
#1 My Lollipop Android Chrome settings screen doesn't show a "merge tabs and apps" section. #2 The screen you show above after instructing to click "merge tabs and apps" is the "autofill forms" settings (*not merge tabs and apps), which is the same field I see on my settings, but one that does nothing to show or hide tabs.
Justin Ethan   Jun 26, 2016
Very helpful! Thanks! :)
Vardan in   Nov 16, 2015
Thanks!!!
Nick Dee   Oct 31, 2015
Holy shit there is a god!!!
Jochen Stcker   Oct 19, 2015
Thank Christ for that. Some developer must have been bored or try to justify his job.
Anonymous   Oct 10, 2015
it's big thanks
Anonymous   Oct 10, 2015
very helpful bid thanks
Frances Okolo   Sep 30, 2015
Very helpful. Thanks
Andrea Wilkinson   Aug 31, 2015
Thanks you heaps!
Stephanie Lanzetti   Aug 24, 2015
Thank you thank you thank you. I just changed phones and hated that I couldn't use my tabs. Had no idea where to go..
Mohammad-Nadir Haider   Aug 08, 2015
Thank you so much, I was so pissed at Google for the past few days
Jerri Dean Weddle   Jul 24, 2015
OMGOSH THANK YOU!! It was soooo frustrating to not be able to get back the the page I was on!!
Maria Holyk   Jul 22, 2015
Thank you!!!! I had no idea where to even switch between tabs, let alone how to change it back!!
David Bartenstein   Jul 11, 2015
Thank you a million times!!! Clearly they did not think it true at all when they decided to merge those! I'm so happy it's reversible!!! You're awesome!
Bianca Mourik   Jul 09, 2015
THANK YOU GOOOOD
Ali Elsayed Samahat   Jul 02, 2015
Really.. Really useful article I have been pushed by excitement to write this comment in order to thank you please keep up the good work
Joseph Reinshagen   Jun 27, 2015
Thank you! ! Saved me from alot of frustration
Marti Ruiz   Jun 21, 2015
Thanks
Marti Ruiz   Jun 21, 2015
Thanks a lot
Krista Hayes   Jun 11, 2015
Thank you!!!
Indra Eka   Jun 10, 2015
Thanks!!!
Nick Cambridge   Jun 09, 2015
The 5.0 update completely wiped my Chrome tabs. Had some important shit open there too.
Doug Whaley   Jun 06, 2015
Thank you
Dzumzer Ilijazi   Jun 03, 2015
Thank you very much.
Tom Garoutte   May 30, 2015
Thanks.
Frankfort Venture   May 29, 2015
THANKS!
Susan Fleischer   May 26, 2015
Thank you. You made it clear and easy!
Adarsh Samaiya   May 23, 2015
Dude, thanks. Google come on!
Kilyn Liong Kilogy   May 20, 2015
Thank you! This is very helpful! Solved my frustrations :)
Becky Clements   May 19, 2015
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ash LaLibert   May 15, 2015
Thank you soon much!!!! I was constantly accidently losing all my tabs!!
Fred Green   May 13, 2015
THANK YOU
Marco Antonacci   May 12, 2015
You ar. The fucking man. This is awesome. I knew Google would be THAT dumb to make this rework of the chrome tabs permanent.
Jason Ho   May 08, 2015
Ridiculous. This completely screws over HTC One M7 which has physical buttons and doesn't have a tab overview button
Graham Frost   May 07, 2015
great info...I now need Botox to remove the frown lines I have just developed.
Carlos Garcia   Apr 28, 2015
Excellent
Ryan Christopher   Apr 22, 2015
Thank you
Beatrice Kirkbright   Apr 21, 2015
woww thank u
Catherine Higgins   Apr 20, 2015
Hero
Shyam Krishnamurthy   Apr 18, 2015
Fantastic. Thanks a bunch chief
Kirby J Honeycutt   Apr 10, 2015
A million thanks!
Angel Cortes Hyduke   Apr 07, 2015
Thank you very much!!!! I Hate the new update completely!!!
Erika Bazemore   Mar 15, 2015
Bless you.
Richard Haynes   Mar 05, 2015
Thanks for this. I thought I was going loopy with those missing tabs...
Matt Fry   Mar 03, 2015
Thank you! !!!!
Aaron Sanabria   Jan 08, 2015
THANKS !!! I just upgrade I was about to get crazy without the tabs!