Make close of last tab open New Tab page instead of closing browser

[Stijn]

Hi,

First of all thanks for creating Chrome, it's an awesome browser!

Still there is a little nitpick. When I have only one last tab open
and I close that, it closes the whole browser.
I'd think it would be better if it would close that last tab and
replace it by the 'New Tab' page.

Here is my reasoning:

There is already a button / keyboard shortcut for closing the whole
browser
There is no button / shortcut for replacing the last tab with the New
Tab (that I know of?)
I often close the browser by mistake this way, when I want to close
all my open tabs by pressing and holding CTRL+F4

I think it makes sense to put the New Tab in there. I am closing a web
page, so why should the behavior be radically different for the last
one than it is from the others? The New Tab page opening would just be
the consequence of a rule that having zero tabs open makes no sense so
the browser always opens at least the New Tab page in that case.

What do you guys think?

[Legoguy2761]

You could just open a new tab, but it's still a good idea.

And Chrome is awesome :D

[Tibor]

I also find this behaviour confusing and incosistent, Alt+F4 is
supposed to close main window not Ctrl+F4.

Fortunately there's an extension, maybe eventually it will become a
Chrome setting:
Chrome Toolbox (by Google)
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/fjccknnhdnkbanjilpjddjhmkghmachn

[Ben]

Chrome Toolbox (as suggested by Tibor) is nice, but if you only want the
functionality you're asking for, you could also try some of these:

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/search/last%20tab

[Capy]

I like the current implementation because I view each tab as a
separate program. Also, I think it would be jarring if you could not
close the program by closing all of the tabs. For example, you must
use the close window button to close Firefox (the close tab button
does not appear on the last tab).

[Tibor]

If each tab is a 'program' then you can close each program either
clicking the X button on tab either with Ctrl+F4 (standard Windows
shortcut).
Applications/main windows are supposed to be closed by Alt+F4 keyboard
shortcut or by selecting Exit menu item.
Please note that in some cases (i.e. when background pages are
enabled) Chrome and other applications are not actually closed when
main window is closed but are still run in background (Chrome has a
tray icon to show it is still running).

The problem with Ctrl+F4 closing main window is that when one uses
this shortcut then one expects only the current tab (document in other
applications) to be closed not to exit the application.
It is not the user's responsibility to keep track of the number open
tabs and not use Ctrl+F4 when only one tab is open.
I for example many time have a quick look at a page then close it with
Ctrl+F4. It happens that the one I looked at was the only open tab and
I accidentally closed the main window although I didn't wanted too. I
have my reasons why I need a browser running with no site opened,
Chrome is for long not only to display web pages but to perform other
tasks, i.e. check my email and update extension icon if there are new
messages (i.e. I don't want desktop notifications and sounds).
If I want to close main window then I close the main window and not a
tab, these are two very different operations and shouldn't be mixed.

Last tab on Firefox can be closed with Ctrl+F4 or you can close
application with Alt+F4.
It is a configuration setting if last tab closes application or not:
browser.tabs.closeWindowWithLastTab
http://kb.mozillazine.org/About:config_entries

Chrome should have this option built in too.

See browser.tabs.closeButtons too.

[David Huang]

Hi all,

After running into the same problem (and unable to find a working solution), I wrote a Chrome extension for this. Feel free to try it out!

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pekhngokoehglkdkciedpimjddpbkcod

David

[Tibor]

What was wrong with Chrome Toolbox extension?

[David Lin-Shung Huang]

Chrome toolbox doesn't work on Mac.

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[Tibor]

Why is it running as a background app?

On Sunday, June 10, 2012 7:40:46 PM UTC+1, David Huang wrote:

[David Lin-Shung Huang]

Running as a background app allows the extension to accurately monitor window close events, without injecting scripts into any web pages.

--

[Antonel Ernest Pazargic]

Chrome box doesn't work on Linux either.

It would be an useful feature in Chrome not to close browser after closing the last tab.

 

Regards

[Michael Khaimov]

+1

Seems to be a simple feature, but still isn't implemented yet.

суббота, 19 января 2013 г., 20:22:24 UTC+2 пользователь Antonel Ernest Pazargic написал:

[Michael Hu]

+2. Chrome should have an option to let user choose whether closing last tab would close the whole window. There are many reason for this. One of the obvious one is performance. Reopen the chrome is slower than tab. Closing last tab could due to security/privacy reason. E.g. browsing bank website while someone walked by. This option is available in all other browsers. So why not just having it to please more users to convert over. I only say advantages as there is no behavior changes.

On Saturday, January 21, 2012 6:13:25 AM UTC-8, Stijn wrote:

[Bertram Moshier]

In Firefox there is an option in the configuration settings which one can set to TRUE or FALSE.  The default is to close on the last tab, but one can toggle the setting and get the behavior so many of us desire (keep the browser open).

If Firefox can and does do it, why can't Chrome?