A browser is a very useful tool for everyday work. Even though you use the Chrome browser, you may not realize it can do more than just open web pages and run Google searches. In fact, it can become one of the most essential parts of your daily workflow.
However, there are several hidden features or tricks we don’t pay attention to that could save us several minutes or hours of tedious daily work. I recently started trying out a few, and I found some that are true gems. They have enhanced my productivity. If you use a Chrome alternative, you may be able to replicate some of these productivity tricks.
Tab search
Find any open tab in seconds across all windows
If you open as many tabs as I do, you’d admit that it often gets a bit messy. Sometimes, these tabs are opened across multiple windows, making it nearly impossible—or at least difficult—to find the exact one you need. You end up endlessly scrolling or squinting at very tiny favicons. Sometimes you even open duplicate tabs.
Chrome’s Tab search has come in handy for me in situations like these. I press Ctrl + Shift + A (Cmd + Shift + A on Mac) and get a searchable list of all the tabs across all windows. I search by page or title for the exact one I need. Aside from open tabs, it also lists recently closed tabs, making it very useful if I need to reopen something I just closed.
This feature is my daily go-to for research, drafting, writing, and juggling multiple client projects. With one quick search, I’m back to exactly where I need to be.
Chrome profiles
Separate work, personal, and side-project browsing instantly
One of the biggest time killers in Chrome is switching between work and personal accounts. You may need to log out and back into Slack, Gmail, Drive, and other accounts several times a day. Aside from being tedious, you may make errors during the process, and it’s all just very time-consuming.
Chrome profiles fix this. I have several work profiles, a personal profile, and a study profile. Each profile is isolated, storing its own unique set of bookmarks, extensions, cookies, and logins. Rather than continually logging in and out of services, I only have to open a new profile that already has all the needed logins and tools for that role.
Using profiles has made my work frictionless. My notifications stay relevant, and it helps me keep bookmarks organized. I avoid the mistake of sending a personal email to a work account or opening a personal budget sheet on a work Google Drive account.
Tab groups
Organize dozens of tabs into neat, collapsible projects
As I mentioned earlier, Tab Search helps me reduce the chaos of navigating multiple browser tabs. I use it when I have 30–40 tabs across different topics. Tab groups also work great, but in a different and elegant way.
To use it, first, follow these steps:
- Right-click on a tab and select Add to a new tab group.
- Give it a label and a color.
Then, I repeat the process to create as many groups as I need. Now I right-click on new tabs, hover over Add tab to group, and click the group I want it to belong to.
Suddenly, I have projects, clients, or priorities, color-coded and easily distinguishable. Even with 40 tabs open, tasks are grouped by context in a way that lets me easily identify and switch to them.
Extension shortcuts
Trigger your most essential tools with instant keyboard hotkeys
I use a lot of Chrome extensions. Some extensions are great for productivity and save me hours of work. However, continuously clicking on their icons is a micro-task that adds up. I often repeat the same steps too many times every day: opening my note-taking extension, password extension, or screenshot app.
I now use Chrome’s keyboard shortcut feature, which cuts down on the several extension clicks I perform every day. To set it up, I follow these steps:
- Navigate to this page on my browser: chrome://extensions/shortcuts.
- Assign keys to my most-used extensions.
Once done, rather than clicking menus, a combination like Ctrl + Shift + P can open my password manager. I have a different shortcut for screen captures.
Omnibox engines
Search any site instantly from the address bar
For someone who writes a lot, research takes up much of my daily online time. I’m usually searching on Amazon for new products or customer reviews, or through documentation for different products. Omnibox engines let me search any site right from my Chrome address bar. I have to set it up for my most-used sites.
So, for instance, if I need to constantly search Wikipedia, I first follow these steps:
- Navigate to Wikipedia and search for something random using the search bar (I like using “abxx”).
- Copy the URL for the search result.
- Navigate to this page on my browser: chrome://settings/searchEngines
- Click Add in the Site search section. Then fill out the form.
- The Name should be the website name; the Shortcut should be something you can remember and associate with the website (I use “wk” for Wikipedia). Now, for the URL, include the search URL you copied, but first replace the search term (“abxx” in my case) in the URL with “%s”. In my case, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?go=Go&search=abxx&ns0=1 becomes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?go=Go&search=%s&ns0=1
Now whenever I type wk in my browser’s address bar and hit the space bar, I can type whatever search term I need, and it searches for it directly on Wikipedia.
Reopen closed tabs and windows
Recover entire workflows instantly when accidents happen
If I had a dollar for every time I’d accidentally closed a tab in Chrome. Recovering the closed tab usually involves going through your browser history, and this is typically a series of clicks and menus.
Chrome solves this with an easy shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + T (Cmd + Shift + T on Mac). It instantly restores your last closed tab. Pressing this shortcut repeatedly will restore multiple tabs in order, and after the last tab, Chrome restores the entire last closed window.
This built-in but underrated Chrome feature fixed my tab chaos
Separating your personal and work life with a built-in Chrome feature.
Transform Chrome for productivity
Using these tricks and features is how I turn Chrome into a productivity dashboard. Chrome may not be the most private browser option, but it is very convenient and packed with features that make it ideal for work or personal use.
These small improvements add up, and once you start using them, Chrome quietly becomes one of the most reliable tools in your workflow.
