Simple Tab Groups for Firefox: how to organize tabs into groups

Simple Tab Groups is a free, open source Firefox extension by developer Drive4ik that sorts your open tabs into named groups and shows only the active group's tabs on the tab bar. You switch groups from a toolbar popup (F8 by default), move tabs between groups with a right-click, and back everything up to a JSON file. It works across windows and supports Firefox Multi-Account Containers.

This guide covers what Simple Tab Groups does, how to set it up, how to create and manage groups, how it compares with the tab groups now built into Firefox, and the limits you should know before you trust it with hundreds of tabs.

What Simple Tab Groups does

Simple Tab Groups hides every tab that does not belong to the group you are working in, so the tab bar stays short while the other groups wait in the background. This is the Panorama idea from old Firefox versions, rebuilt as a WebExtension. The extension was inspired by the earlier Tab Groups add-on, and it can still import that add-on's backups.

The main features listed on the extension's Mozilla Add-ons page:

• Create, rename and switch groups; groups work across multiple windows
• Colored or custom group icons, including an icon taken from a tab's favicon
• The current group shown on the toolbar icon
• A Manage groups window with tab search, group sorting and drag and drop
• Support for Firefox Multi-Account Containers and the sidebar
• Undo for removed groups and default settings for new groups
• Hotkeys plus Gesturefy integration for switching, creating and discarding groups
• Backup and restore of tabs, groups and settings as JSON

The extension is licensed under the Mozilla Public License 2.0, and its source code is on GitHub.

How to install and set up Simple Tab Groups

Simple Tab Groups installs from Mozilla Add-ons like any other extension, and it works best when Firefox restores your previous session at startup. Groups are restored from that session, so turning the option on first avoids surprises after a restart.

1. Open the Simple Tab Groups listing on addons.mozilla.org and select Add to Firefox.
2. Review the permission prompt. The add-on asks for access to tabs, hiding and showing tabs, recently closed tabs, downloads (used for automatic backups) and data on all websites; bookmark access is optional.
3. In Firefox Settings, under Startup, select Open previous windows and tabs.
4. Pin the Simple Tab Groups button to the toolbar, or press F8 to open its popup. You can change the shortcut in Firefox's extension shortcut settings.

For the dark theme, the add-on listing says you must set svg.context-properties.content.enabled to true in about:config.

How to create a tab group and move tabs into it

Simple Tab Groups creates a group from its toolbar popup, and you fill it by moving tabs from the tab bar context menu.

1. Click the toolbar button and choose Create new group.
2. Type a name for the group. The new group starts empty.
3. Right-click any tab on the tab bar and choose Move tab to group, then pick the target group or create a new one from the same menu.
4. Click a group name in the popup to switch to it. Tabs from other groups are hidden, not closed.

Selecting a group that is open in another window brings that window to the front, and the extension remembers the last active tab of each group when you switch back.

How to manage groups, icons and containers

Simple Tab Groups puts group management in a right-click menu inside its popup and in a per-group settings panel. Right-click a group name to open all of its tabs in a new window, sort groups alphabetically, export the group to bookmarks, reload its tabs, discard (unload) the group or all other groups, or delete it.

Group settings let you rename the group, change its icon or color, mute tabs when the group is hidden, and make a sticky group whose tabs are never moved out of it. If you use Firefox Multi-Account Containers, you can tie a container to a group, for example sending every tab from a Shopping container to a Shopping group automatically.

The popup also lists tabs that belong to no group. One click closes them, moves them into the current group, or turns them into a new group.

The Manage groups window shows every group as a tile with its tabs, so you can search, drag tabs between groups and reorder groups on one screen.

How to back up Simple Tab Groups

Simple Tab Groups keeps your groups safe through backups, not a session history, so set up backups before you rely on it. The add-on can export and import tabs, groups and settings as a JSON file and can create automatic backups through Firefox's downloads, according to its listing and GitHub readme. On Windows, an optional helper (STGHost) can save backups to any folder you choose.

Good backup habits:

• Turn on automatic backups in the add-on options and check that files actually appear in your downloads folder.
• Export important groups to bookmarks as a second copy.
• Before reinstalling Firefox or the add-on, export a manual backup first.
• For a full session history with restore points, pair it with a session manager such as Tab Session Manager.

Simple Tab Groups vs Firefox's built-in tab groups

Firefox now has native tab groups (Mozilla's help page lists Firefox 137 and later), so the question is which model suits you. Native groups stay visible on the tab bar as colored, collapsible clusters; Simple Tab Groups hides inactive groups completely.

If you want a quick visual split of a few dozen tabs, Firefox's built-in tab groups need no extension. If you work in separate projects with hundreds of tabs and want only one project visible at a time, Simple Tab Groups is the stronger fit. Mozilla notes that extensions can cause tabs to be grouped or ungrouped unexpectedly, so test both together on a spare profile before mixing them.

Limitations and conflicts

Simple Tab Groups has three limits worth knowing before you commit. First, it does not support private (incognito) windows. Second, it can conflict with other tab managers that also hide or move tabs; the developer names OneTab, Tab Open/Close Control and Panorama-style group add-ons. Third, it is not a session manager: if you close a window that holds a group while other windows stay open, you can lose those tabs, which is why backups matter.

To keep memory use down, discard groups you are not using or combine the add-on with an unloader such as Auto Tab Discard. The extension does not touch the new tab page, so speed dial add-ons keep working alongside it.

FAQ

Related: how to enable tab groups in Firefox, bookmark all open tabs in Firefox, the best Firefox add-ons