You're working, and suddenly your Google Chrome tabs crash, showing the "Aw, Snap!" sad face, or the browser insists you have no internet (even when you do). When Chrome becomes unresponsive on your Mac, a simple restart is usually the fix.
But what about all your open tabs? Here’s a simple, step-by-step guide on how to safely force quit the browser and get all your tabs back.
Step 1: Force Quit Google Chrome
When Chrome is frozen or unresponsive, a normal quit (using Command + Q) might not work. The best way to shut it down is with a Force Quit. This will not harm your computer.
Press these three keys on your keyboard at the same time: Option + Command + Escape (Esc).
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The "Force Quit Applications" window will pop up.
Find and select "Google Chrome" from the list. (It might say "Not Responding").
Click the blue "Force Quit" button and confirm.
Chrome will immediately close. Wait about 5-10 seconds before moving to the next step.
Step 2: Relaunch and Restore Your Tabs
Now that you've closed the buggy browser, it's time to reopen it and get your session back.
Reopen Google Chrome from your Dock or Applications folder.
Chrome usually knows it crashed. It may show a small "Restore" button near the top right of the screen. If you see it, click it, and your tabs will reappear.
If you don't see a "Restore" button, don't worry. There are two easy ways to get your tabs back manually.
Method A: The Keyboard Shortcut (Fastest)
With Chrome open, press Command + Shift + T on your keyboard.
This command reopens your last closed tab. If you had an entire window of tabs, it will reopen the entire window. If you had multiple windows, you can press this shortcut again to open the next-to-last closed window.
Method B: The History Menu
At the top of your Mac's screen, click on the "History" menu.
Hover over the first item, which will say something like "Recently Closed".
You should see an option like "12 Tabs" (or however many you had). Click that to restore your entire session.
💡 Pro Tip: Make Chrome Always Reopen Your Tabs
To prevent this headache in the future (or just to make life easier), you can tell Chrome to always start where you left off.
Open Chrome and click the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner.
Click on "Settings".
On the left-hand menu, click "On startup".
Select the option that says "Continue where you left off."
Now, even if you quit Chrome normally, it will always relaunch with all your previous tabs, ready to go.