To hide tabs in Chrome, use full screen on desktop, collapse a desktop tab group, or move inactive tabs out of the main tab view on mobile. Press F11 on Windows or Linux, or Fn + F on Mac to enter full screen. If you want to restrict access on your phone, use Chrome’s Incognito locking settings, which protect Incognito tabs rather than ordinary tabs.
The short version
- Hide the tab strip: Enter full screen to hide browser controls while keeping the webpage displayed.
- Hide selected tabs: Collapse a desktop group or close the group while retaining it for reopening.
- Tidy mobile tabs: Move inactive tabs aside automatically or close a group without deleting it.
- Restrict access: Lock mobile Incognito tabs or lock your computer session.
| Method | Where it works | What remains visible or accessible |
|---|---|---|
| Full screen | Windows, Linux, Mac and Chromebooks with a full-screen key | The current webpage stays displayed |
| Collapse a group | Desktop Chrome | The group marker stays visible |
| Close a group | Desktop, Android, iPhone and iPad | The saved group remains available to reopen |
| Pin a desktop tab | Desktop Chrome | The icon stays visible without the title |
| Move tabs to another window | Desktop Chrome | The tabs remain in the destination window |
| Minimize or hide Chrome | Windows and Mac | The tabs remain open |
| Show the desktop | Windows 11 | The desktop replaces the windows in view |
| Move inactive tabs aside | Android, iPhone and iPad | The tabs move into an inactive section |
| Use another tablet window | Supported Android tablets | The tabs remain in the other window |
| Separate Incognito tabs | Android, iPhone and iPad | Incognito tabs remain accessible in their separate window or view |
| Lock Incognito tabs | Android, iPhone and iPad | Ordinary tabs remain outside this protection |
| Blur Incognito tabs | iPhone and iPad | Tapping the blurred tabs reveals them |
| Lock the session | Windows 11, Mac and Chromebook | The computer session requires unlocking |
| Hide Tabs (Panic Button) | Desktop Chrome | The extension closes tabs and later recreates them |
| OneTab | Desktop Chrome | A saved list replaces the open tabs |
| Vertical tabs | Desktop Chrome with the option available | Tabs remain visible in a different position |
| Pin an iPhone tab | Chrome for iPhone | The tab remains accessible at the bottom |
| Stop automatic group opening | Android, iPhone and iPad | Existing local tabs remain visible |
| Open a site as a web app | Desktop Chrome | The site opens outside the ordinary browser interface |
Hide the desktop tab strip with full screen
On Windows or Linux, press F11 in Chrome to hide the tab strip and keep the current webpage displayed. Press F11 again to return to the regular browser window.
On Mac, press Fn + F to enter full screen. If Chrome’s toolbar remains visible, open View and uncheck Always Show Toolbar in Full Screen. Press Fn + F again to leave full screen.
On a Chromebook with the corresponding hardware key, look for the screen-corners icon on the keyboard. Press that Full screen key to enter full screen.
Hide selected desktop tabs with groups
Right-click a tab, choose Add tab to group, then select New group. Add the other tabs you want to keep together, then click the group’s name or colored circle to collapse it. Click the same marker again to expand the group.
The group marker stays visible, and collapsing the group does not lock its tabs. On Windows and ChromeOS, you can also focus the tab-group header and press Space or Enter to collapse or expand it.
To remove the group from the open tab strip while retaining it for later, right-click the group and choose Close group. Chrome keeps the saved group without deleting it. Reopen it through More > Tab groups, then select the group.
If you only want to conceal a tab’s title, right-click the tab and select Pin. Its icon remains visible. To reverse the change, right-click the pinned tab and choose Unpin.
Move tabs aside or hide the Chrome window
Drag a tab outside its current window to put it in another window. You can also right-click the tab, select Move tab to another window, and choose a destination window using the same profile. Minimize the destination window to keep those tabs out of view.
On Windows, press Alt + Space, then N to minimize Chrome. On Mac, press Command + M to minimize a window, or Command + H to hide Chrome. Your tabs remain open.
On Windows 11, press Windows + D to show the desktop. Press Windows + D again to restore the windows.
Move inactive Android tabs out of view
In Chrome on Android, open More > Settings > Advanced > Tabs and tab groups > Move to inactive section. Choose a time period to move inactive tabs and groups out of the active section automatically.
Inactive items otherwise close after six months, while synced groups are retained. Turn off Automatically close inactive items to prevent that eventual closure.
To set aside an existing group immediately, open Switch tabs, touch and hold the group, and choose Close group. This closes the group without deleting it. Retrieve it through Tab groups when you need it again.
On Android tablets that support multiple Chrome windows, open More > New window. Drag a tab into the other window’s tab strip. Use More > Manage windows to switch between them.
Set aside tabs on iPhone and iPad
On iPhone or iPad, open Chrome’s More > Settings > Tabs and tab groups > Inactive. Choose a time period for moving inactive tabs aside. To return to those pages, open Switch Tabs > Inactive Tabs.
You can also close an existing tab group without deleting it. Tap Switch tabs, then tap Close at the group’s upper-right corner. Reopen it through Grid > Tab Groups, then tap the group name.
Lock or blur Incognito tabs on mobile
On Android, open More > Settings > Privacy and security. Turn on Lock Incognito windows when you leave Chrome. This protects Incognito tabs rather than ordinary tabs. Google says some Pixel steps require Android 11 or later.
To browse in a separate Incognito window on Android, open More and choose Open in a new Incognito window. On tablets, the label may be New Incognito window. Browse there, then switch back to a regular Chrome window when you want to leave those tabs out of its tab switcher. Window separation alone does not require authentication.
On iPhone and iPad, open More > Settings > Privacy and security > Hide Incognito tabs. Choose Lock immediately with device authentication to require your device’s available authentication method.
For a visual blur, select Hide after a few minutes in the same setting. This blurs Incognito tabs after you leave Chrome, but tapping them reveals them without authentication. Choose Lock immediately with device authentication if you want to restrict access.
To open an Incognito tab on iPhone or iPad, select More > New Incognito Tab. Return to ordinary tabs by tapping Switch tabs and swiping between the regular and Incognito views. Opening Incognito does not convert your existing ordinary tabs into Incognito tabs.
Lock your computer when you leave it
On Windows 11, press Windows + L to lock the session. This hides Chrome along with the rest of the session and requires unlocking before you return.
On Mac, press Control + Command + Q to lock the screen. If your keyboard has Touch ID, pressing the Touch ID button also locks it.
On a Chromebook, press Search + L or Launcher + L. Alternatively, select the time and choose Lock. To lock automatically when sleeping or closing the lid, open Settings > Privacy and security > Lock screen and sign-in, then turn on Lock when sleeping or lid is closed.
Use a desktop extension to set tabs aside
Hide Tabs (Panic Button) gives you a toolbar button and shortcut for hiding and restoring tabs. Get it from its Chrome Web Store product page and review the installation permission prompt. It is a desktop extension, not a native Chrome feature or password lock.
Its hide operation closes your tabs and later recreates them. Click its toolbar button or press Alt + Shift + A to hide the tabs. Repeat the same action to restore them.
OneTab replaces open tabs with a saved list. Open the official OneTab site and select Add One Tab now to reach its Chrome Web Store listing.
Using OneTab replaces your open tabs with a saved list. Once it is installed, click its toolbar icon to create that list, from which you can restore individual pages or the whole collection. The list remains visible and is not a privacy lock.
If an older tab-hiding extension uses Manifest V2, it is unsupported in Chrome 139 and later. Use a currently supported extension or a built-in method instead. To keep tabs open while taking them off screen, minimize the Chrome window.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can vertical tabs hide the tabs across the top of Chrome?
Vertical tabs relocate the horizontal tab strip rather than conceal every tab. In desktop Chrome with vertical tabs available, right-click a tab and select Show Tabs Vertically, or open Settings > Appearance > Tab position > Vertical.
Can you move an iPhone tab out of the main tab grid?
Yes, pinning a tab moves it into the pinned area at the bottom. In Chrome on iPhone, open Switch Tabs, touch and hold the tab, then select Pin Tab. Alternatively, drag the tab into the pinned area at the bottom. The tab remains accessible there.
How do you stop tab groups from other devices appearing on your phone?
On Android, iPhone or iPad, open Settings > Tabs and tab groups, then turn off Automatically open tab groups from other devices. This stops those groups from opening automatically but does not hide existing local tabs.
Can a website open outside the ordinary Chrome interface?
Yes, desktop Chrome can open a website as a separate web app. Visit the site, select More > Cast, save, and share > Install page as app..., complete the site-specific installation prompts, then launch the installed app. This does not hide your other Chrome windows.