This experimental Chrome feature for Android will save a lot of time

Chrome for Android
(Image credit: Joe Maring / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • A new experimental Chromium feature for "Android Bulk Restore" has been spotted.
  • It would let you reopen Chrome tabs from Recently Closed all at once.
  • You currently have to restore each tab individually.

Google submitted a new experimental Chromium flag on Wednesday called Android Bulk Restore. With it, you'd have the option to reopen a tab group or series of individual tabs that you previously closed.

Chrome Story first spotted this feature on a Chromium Gerrit page. In the description file, you'll find "Enables restoration of bulk tab closures (e.g. close all tabs, close a group, etc.) from Recent Tabs > Recently Closed." 

Currently, you can use Chrome tab groups to save and organize a huge number of links. But if you accidentally close one on mobile, you have no mass-reopen option like you do with the Chrome browser. You have to reopen the links one-by-one, which can be extremely frustrating depending on the number.

With this new experimental Chrome flag, you should be able to reopen a tab group instantly, or several tabs if you closed them simultaneously. Once Google finishes testing the feature and brings it to Chrome for Android, it should save tab-hoarders a ton of time.

If you want access to this tool sooner rather than later, you'll want to download Chrome Canary, where Google devs push and test the latest tools before sending them along to the stable browser.

Another "actions" page shows this option will also appear when a user opens "History from Recent Tabs on iOS," too, meaning it's a mobile feature that's not specific to the best Android phones.

Google is testing another Chrome flag that lets you save a tab group — though only on desktop for now. This too would make it easier to save and reopen your favorite links, in case you can't find the tab group in your Recently Closed data.

Michael L Hicks
Senior Editor, VR/AR and fitness

Michael is Android Central's resident expert on fitness tech and wearables, with an enthusiast's love of VR tech on the side. After years freelancing for Techradar, Wareable, Windows Central, Digital Trends, and other sites on a variety of tech topics, AC has given him the chance to really dive into the topics he's passionate about. He's also a semi-reformed Apple-to-Android user who loves D&D, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings.

For wearables, Michael has tested dozens of smartwatches from Garmin, Fitbit, Samsung, Apple, COROS, Polar, Amazfit, and other brands, and will always focus on recommending the best product over the best brand. He's also completed marathons like NYC, SF, Marine Corps, Big Sur, and California International — though he's still trying to break that 4-hour barrier.