Prevent Google Chrome From Exiting After Closing The Last Tab

A huge usability problem for some users in Google Chrome is the fact that the browser exits automatically when the last open tab is closed.

While that may make sense sometimes, some users would expect it to open the blank tab page instead and leave the browser open. The blank tab page feels like the natural option to display when the last tab has been closed in the browser as it contains links to the most used websites and the history.

Users who want to close the last tab and get to the blank tab page instead need to first open the blank tab page and then close the other remaining tab to keep the browser open.

Last Tab Standing is a new Chrome extension that changes the default behavior in the web browser. The extension overrides the default behavior of the browser to exit if the last tab is closed. It instead opens a new tab so that the browser window remains open; exactly the functionality that some Chrome users like to see.

The browser can still be closed by closing the newly opened tab, or by clicking on the x icon in the upper right corner of the browser window.

Last Tab Standing has some quirks right now, like the previously mentioned exiting of the browser if the new tab is closed. Another limitation is that it only works in one browser window. Users who work with multiple browser windows will notice that the extension will do its magic only in the last remaining window.

The developer has plans to improve the extension, but states that the browser currently has certain limitations that may prevent an optimal solution.

Chrome users who want to try out the browser extension can download it from the official Chrome extensions gallery.

Update: The extension does not work anymore. Live On is an alternative extension that opens a pinned tab automatically when you close the last open tab in the browser. Once you open a new tab the pinned tab is removed again.

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