Automatically Make Background Tab Active in Google Chrome

You can make a background tab active in Google Chrome automatically. It will be opened immediately instead of in the background. Here is how you can do it.

By default, when you middle-click a link in Google Chrome, or when you left click a link while holding the Ctrl key, it gets opened in a new tab in the background. You can override this behavior and open the link in a foreground tab which Chrome immediately switches to as you open it. Here is how it can be done.

To make a background tab active in Google Chrome automatically, you need to do the following.

Press and hold Ctrl + Shift keys together on the keyboard, and only then click the link that you want to switch to immediately. It will be opened in a new foreground tab.

This trick should work in all Chromium-based browsers. This trick also works in Firefox and in Internet Explorer 11.

Alternatively, you can install a special extension called Tab Activate. This will do the same trick for you automatically, so holding down the Ctrl + Shift keys won't be required.

Visit the following link in your Google Chrome browser.

Tab Activate Google Chrome Extension

There, click the "Add to Chrome" button.

Confirm the installation prompt:

The extension will be installed. From now, all background tabs will become active every time you middle-click a link in the browser.

That's it.

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