How To Get Tabs Back In Chrome Android 5.0 Lollipop
Please note that this post is over a year old and may contain outdated information.
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 1On any Chrome window, tap the 3 dots in the upper-right:
Step 2Tap "Settings" (you may have to scroll down):
Step 3Tap "Merge tabs and apps":
Step 4Tap the toggle in the upper-right to the off position:
Step 5Hit "OK" in the dialog window that pops up, and Chrome will restart:
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)
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!
