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Besser Pinned Tabs

// browser extension

About this project

A small extension for anyone who relies on pinned tabs. It keeps the content of a pinned tab where it belongs: links to other sites and newly typed addresses open in a separate tab instead of replacing what you pinned. It runs in the background, has nothing to configure, and collects no data.

Browser extension · published , updated

  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Open source
  • No tracking

Update, 29 July 2026: The Firefox add-on no longer duplicates what Firefox does by itself. Firefox already refuses to close a pinned tab, and already opens links to other sites in a new tab 🙌. Both the Chrome and the Firefox version gained an About page explaining what the extension does. The icon was updated, and is now the same on both browsers. Reopening a pinned tab closed with Cmd-W or Ctrl-W has been rebuilt to work with the latest Chromium code.

Update, 8 July 2024: Besser Pinned Tabs is now also available for Google Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers, in addition to the Firefox version released in May.

Besser Pinned Tabs is an essential tool for anyone who relies on pinned tabs. The extension protects your pinned tabs by intelligently managing how new web pages are opened.

Main features

  1. Navigation protection. If you type a new URL in the address bar of a pinned tab, the extension opens that site in a separate tab, again preserving the content of the pinned tab.
  2. Pinned tab preservation. If a pinned tab is accidentally closed with a keyboard shortcut, the extension instantly reopens it. (Chrome only feature - Firefox handles this natively)
  3. Smart link handling. When you click a link in a pinned tab that leads to a different website, the extension opens it in a new tab. Your pinned tabs keep their original content. (Chrome only feature - Firefox handles this natively)

A smoother browsing experience. The extension works discreetly in the background and has no settings to configure.

Because of technical limitations imposed on browser extensions, closing of a pinned tab cannot always be fully avoided. My workaround: The pinned page is reloaded. But anything unsaved on it (scroll position, half-filled forms) is still lost.

Demo - Google Chrome extension

English captions are available from the video player menu. A full transcript underneath. The video shows an older version of the extension with a previous logo.
Read the video transcript
  1. This is how “Besser Pinned Tabs” improves Google Chrome’s tab handling.
  2. Without this extension, if you hit Command W or Control W on a pinned tab, the tab will just close.
  3. When you click a link to a different website inside a pinned tab, the page will be replaced by the new one, and you lose the content of your pinned web page.
  4. If you change the address of a pinned tab, the new page loads inside the pinned tab and replaces it.
  5. But the pinned tab feature should not just make tabs smaller; it should permanently pin chosen websites to your browser’s tab bar.
  6. Now let’s activate “Besser Pinned Tabs”.
  7. I’m hitting Control W or Command W, and the tab immediately reloads.
  8. Clicking on a link inside a pinned tab opens the new page in a new tab.
  9. And when entering a new URL in the address bar, that page also loads in a new tab, thereby protecting the content of your pinned website.
  10. Enjoy “Besser Pinned Tabs”, and if you like it, please give it a good rating.

Further information