The Chrome new tab shortcut, and the keys around it
Ctrl+T opens a new tab. Here is where that tab lands, how to open a link or a typed address in a new tab instead, the duplicate trick, and why Ctrl+T cannot be rebound.
On this page
The new tab shortcut in Chrome is Ctrl+T on Windows, Linux, and ChromeOS, and Cmd+T on a Mac. The tab opens at the far right of the tab strip with the cursor already in the address bar, so the full motion for “go somewhere new” is Ctrl+T, type, Enter. That’s the answer most people came for. The rest of this post is the handful of related keys that save more time than Ctrl+T itself, because a lot of the tabs you open shouldn’t start blank.
New tab, new window, private window
Three siblings, easy to mix up:
| Want | Windows / Linux / ChromeOS | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| New tab | Ctrl+T | Cmd+T |
| New window | Ctrl+N | Cmd+N |
| New Incognito window | Ctrl+Shift+N | Cmd+Shift+N |
Inside an Incognito window, Ctrl+T opens another Incognito tab; it never leaks you back into a normal one.
Open a link in a new tab
You rarely want an empty tab. You want that link in a new tab, without losing the page you’re reading:
- Ctrl+click (Cmd+click on a Mac) opens the link in a new tab in the background, so you can keep reading and queue up several.
- Ctrl+Shift+click opens it in a new tab and switches to it.
- A middle click (the scroll wheel) does the same as Ctrl+click and is faster if you have a wheel.
- Shift+click opens the link in a new window.
Tabs opened from a link land directly to the right of the tab you were on, not at the end of the strip, which is why a research session ends up as a cluster instead of a trail.
Open a typed address in a new tab
Here’s the one worth learning. Type an address or a search in the address bar, then press Alt+Enter (Cmd+Enter on a Mac) instead of Enter. Chrome opens it in a fresh tab and leaves the current page alone. It’s the same outcome as Ctrl+T then typing, but it works when you’ve already started typing, and it’s the basis of the next trick.
Duplicate the current tab
Chrome has “Duplicate” in a tab’s right-click menu and no dedicated key for it. The keyboard route is two shortcuts you already know: Alt+D (or Ctrl+L) to focus the address bar with the current URL selected, then Alt+Enter to open that URL in a new tab. On a Mac it’s Cmd+L then Cmd+Enter. You lose the page’s back history, which a true duplicate keeps, but for “I want this page twice” it’s instant.
The keys that undo a new tab
- Ctrl+W (Cmd+W) closes the current tab.
- Ctrl+Shift+T (Cmd+Shift+T) brings back the last closed one, and keeps going back on repeat. The full story, including what to do when it comes up empty, is in how to open closed tabs in Chrome.
- Ctrl+Shift+W (Cmd+Shift+W) closes the whole window.
Once you have more tabs than you can see, getting between them matters more than opening them; that’s covered in how to switch tabs with your keyboard.
Changing what the new tab shows
Ctrl+T opens Chrome’s New Tab page, which comes from your default search engine. With Google set as the search engine you get the shortcuts grid and a “Customize Chrome” button in the corner for the background and the cards. Switching search engines in Settings swaps in that engine’s new tab page.
There is no setting to point the new tab at an arbitrary address. For that you need an extension that overrides the New Tab page, and Chrome shows a confirmation the first time one does. Many of the “new tab” extensions in the store are dashboards that also replace it; install one of those and your old page is gone until you remove it.
Can you rebind Ctrl+T?
No. Chrome’s built-in shortcuts are fixed, and the shortcuts page at chrome://extensions/shortcuts only controls keys that extensions register. The practical fallback is to give an extension a shortcut and let it do the opening. That’s how our extension, UtilEngine, works: press your shortcut (Alt+Z by default, changeable on that same page) and a command palette opens over the current page. Type an address, or “h” and a few letters to search your history, and Enter opens the result in a new tab while Shift+Enter loads it in the current one. The same palette also switches tabs, searches downloads, and runs 50+ other commands, so one rebindable key covers what Chrome spreads across a dozen fixed ones.
UtilEngine is paid ($49 once). If Ctrl+T and Alt+Enter already cover your day, keep the $49.
The same keys in other browsers
- Edge and Brave: identical to Chrome, including Alt+Enter from the address bar.
- Firefox: Ctrl+T, Ctrl+N, and Ctrl+click all match; the private window is Ctrl+Shift+P instead of N.
- Safari: Cmd+T for a tab, Cmd+N for a window, Cmd+Shift+N for a private window.
Common questions
What is the shortcut for a new tab in Chrome?
Ctrl+T on Windows, Linux, and ChromeOS; Cmd+T on a Mac. The new tab opens at the end of the tab strip with the address bar focused.
How do I open a new tab next to the current one instead of at the end?
Chrome has no setting for where Ctrl+T puts the tab. Tabs opened from links, with Ctrl+click or a middle click, do open next to the current tab. If you want a typed address to land beside you, there’s no built-in way; drag it over or use an extension.
How do I open a new tab in the same tab group?
Right-click the group’s colored label and pick “New tab in group”. A plain Ctrl+T opens the tab at the end of the strip, outside the group. More on groups in how to group tabs in Chrome.
Why does Ctrl+T do nothing?
Usually another app or a global hotkey has claimed the key, or a page element has grabbed keyboard focus. Click the page once and try again; if it still fails, check any utility that registers system-wide shortcuts. If a new tab opens but looks wrong, an extension has taken over the New Tab page; find it under chrome://extensions.
Is there a shortcut to duplicate a tab?
Not a single key. Use Alt+D then Alt+Enter (Cmd+L then Cmd+Enter on a Mac), or right-click the tab and choose Duplicate.