Tabbed browsing: frequently asked questions

Tabbed browsing is a feature in Internet Explorer that enables you to open multiple websites in a single browser window. You can open webpages in new tabs, and switch between them by clicking the tabs you want to view. By using tabbed browsing, you potentially reduce the number of items that are displayed on the taskbar.

If you have multiple tabs open, you can also use Quick Tabs to easily switch to other tabs. For more information, see Using Quick Tabs in Internet Explorer.

To open a new blank tab, click the New Tab button on the tab row or press CTRL+T. To open a new tab from a link on a webpage, press CTRL as you click the link, or right-click the link and then click Open in New Tab. If you have a mouse with a wheel, you can click a link with the wheel to open it in a new tab.

New Tab button

In Internet Explorer 8, you can open previously closed tabs or browsing sessions, choose an Accelerator, or start InPrivate Browsing. For more details on the new tab page, see Tabs, Accelerators, and InPrivate Browsing: recommended links.

When you open links on a webpage in new tabs, Internet Explorer 8 groups those tabs by displaying new tabs in the same color as the page you linked from.

If you have more than one tab open, click the Close Tab button on the tab you want to close. If you have a mouse with a wheel, and have more than one tab open, you can click a tab with the wheel to close it. If you only have one tab open, you must close the browser window to close the tab.

If you click the Close button in the upper-right corner of Internet Explorer 8, you will be asked whether you want to close the tab you're currently viewing, or the entire browser window. In Internet Explorer 7, you can choose to reopen the current tabs the next time you start Internet Explorer.

In Internet Explorer 8, yes, you can open tabs you've closed during a single browsing session, or all the tabs that were open when you previously closed the browser. For more information, see Open tabs you've previously closed.

When you open a new tab, Internet Explorer displays the new tab page by default. If you prefer that your home page appear when you open a new tab, follow these steps:

Notes

• If you open a new tab and see a page that says "You've opened a new tab" after you've followed the steps above, select the Don't show this page again check box, and then click Close. When you restart Internet Explorer, your home page will display whenever you open a new tab.

• If you have multiple home page tabs, only the first home page in your list will open in the new tab.

To save a group of tabs, click the Favorites button, In Internet Explorer 8, click the arrow next to the Add to Favorites button, and then click Add Current Tabs to Favorites. In Internet Explorer 7, click the Add to Favorites button , and then click Add Tab Group to Favorites. Give the tab group a name, and then click Add.

Click the Favorites button and then click the folder that you want to open. Click the arrow to the right of the folder name . All of the webpages will open on separate tabs. When you open a group of tabs in this way, Internet Explorer 8 groups those tabs by displaying a color band at the top the tabs.

Yes. Here's how:

See Internet Explorer 8 keyboard shortcuts for more information. In Internet Explorer 7, see Internet Explorer keyboard shortcuts .

Yes. You can choose to always display pop-ups on a new tab, to always display them in a new window, or to let Internet Explorer decide how to display them. If you opt to let Internet Explorer decide how to display pop-ups, it will display the pop-up in a new window if the pop-up specifies size or display requirements. Otherwise, the pop-up is displayed in a new tab.