To restore your previous session in Firefox, open the ☰ menu and choose History > Restore Previous Session. Firefox can reopen your previous windows and tabs when it still has their saved session data. This menu path applies to desktop Firefox on Windows, macOS and Linux.
The short version
- Restore everything: Open History > Restore Previous Session from the Firefox menu.
- Reopen closed pages: Press Ctrl + Shift + T on Windows or Linux, or Command + Shift + T on macOS.
- Resume automatically: Check Open previous windows and tabs in Firefox’s startup settings.
- Recover missing data: Try another existing profile or a surviving session backup when ordinary restoration fails.
| Method | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Restore Previous Session | Your previous desktop session data remains available |
| Reopen shortcut ending in T | You want closed tabs, windows or the available previous session |
| Reopen shortcut ending in N | You want the last recoverable closed window |
| Recently Closed Tabs or Recently Closed Windows | You want to choose a specific closed entry |
| Reopen Closed Tab | You want to recover a tab through its context menu |
| Automatic crash recovery | Firefox closed unexpectedly and saved data survives |
about:sessionrestore | You want to check the recovery page directly |
| Application restart restoration | Firefox restarts for an update or Troubleshoot Mode |
about:profiles | Your missing session may belong to another existing profile |
| Profile dropdown | The newer profile interface is enabled |
| Local session backup | A useful session backup file survives |
| Firefox Backup | You already have a Firefox-generated backup |
| Browsing history | You need to reopen visited pages individually |
| Firefox View | You want recently closed tabs or tabs still open elsewhere |
| Open-tab syncing | Another device still has the pages you need |
| Synced tabs on desktop | You want to choose an available tab from another device |
| Open All in Tabs in the synced-tabs sidebar | You want all available synced URLs from a device |
| Android tab tray | Your regular or inactive tabs are still retained |
| Android Recently closed tabs | A closed regular tab remains recoverable |
| Android UNDO | The notification is still visible after closing tabs |
| Android automatic-close setting | You want to preserve future tabs |
| iPhone or iPad tab tray | Your tabs are still retained |
| iPhone or iPad Recently Closed | You want to reopen a recently closed page |
| iPhone or iPad Undo | The tab-closing notification is still visible |
| Automatic startup restoration | You want future regular sessions to reopen |
| Quit with all desired windows open | You want to preserve a session containing several windows |
| Disable permanent private browsing | You need Firefox to retain future regular sessions |
| Disable history deletion at shutdown | You want to preserve data for future recovery |
Restore your last Firefox session
Open the ☰ menu, select History, then choose Restore Previous Session. You can also choose History > Restore Previous Session from the menu bar. On Windows or Linux, press Alt to reveal a hidden menu bar.
This restores the previous session when its data remains available. Older instructions pointing to a restoration button on Firefox’s home page refer to a removed interface; use the History menu instead.
Reopen missing tabs and windows
Press Ctrl + Shift + T on Windows or Linux, or Command + Shift + T on macOS. Repeat the shortcut as needed. Firefox reopens closed tabs and windows in closing order, then restores the previous session when no closed entries remain and a saved session is available.
To recover a specific entry, open ☰ > History > Recently Closed Tabs or Recently Closed Windows, then select it. You can also right-click a tab or the tab bar and choose Reopen Closed Tab. On macOS, Control-click also opens that context menu.
To reopen the last closed window, press Ctrl + Shift + N on Windows or Linux, or Command + Shift + N on macOS. This requires a recoverable closed window, so try it when session restoration leaves a window missing.
Recover after a crash or unexpected shutdown
Reopen Firefox after a crash or unexpected shutdown. It normally attempts to recover your regular browsing session automatically. If the recovery page appears, select the windows and tabs you want, then click Restore Session.
You can also open the recovery page directly. Type the following address in Firefox’s address bar, then press Enter on Windows or Linux, or Return on macOS.
about:sessionrestoreIf recoverable entries appear, select the windows and tabs you want, then click Restore Session. If the page is empty or the button is disabled, try another recovery method, such as browsing history or a surviving backup.
Firefox should also reopen its existing windows and tabs after an update restart or a restart into Troubleshoot Mode. This preserves the session involved in the restart; it does not retrieve an arbitrary older session. If an update itself fails, follow the steps to update Firefox and fix update problems.
Check your original Firefox profile
Missing tabs after an update or reinstall can belong to another existing Firefox profile. Enter the following address, then press Enter on Windows or Linux, or Return on macOS.
about:profilesFor another existing profile, click Launch profile in new browser and look for your missing data. If it contains the session you need, click Set as default profile for that profile. Do not remove profiles during recovery.
On installations with the newer profile interface enabled, click the account icon in the toolbar, click the current profile name, then select the original profile from the dropdown. The original profile must still exist for you to recover its retained data this way.
Restore a surviving backup
A local session backup can help when the usual controls cannot recover your tabs. Start by entering the following address in Firefox’s address bar and opening it.
about:supportBeside Profile Folder or Profile Directory, click Open Folder on Windows, Show in Finder on macOS, or Open Directory on Linux. Copy the sessionstore-backups folder somewhere safe before quitting Firefox.
With Firefox fully closed, move the existing sessionstore.jsonlz4 file out of the main profile folder if it is present. From your copied backups, choose a plausible file using its modification time and size, copy it into the main profile folder, and rename the copy sessionstore.jsonlz4. Restart Firefox to attempt restoration; the backup must contain useful session data.
Microsoft Store Firefox has a separate profile-location procedure. Press Windows + R, enter the following location, and open the matching package folder.
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Mozilla.FirefoxWithin that package folder, follow the path below and open the profile identified in about:support. Copy its sessionstore-backups folder somewhere safe before quitting Firefox, then follow the same file-replacement procedure with Firefox fully closed.
LocalCache\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\An existing Firefox-generated backup offers another recovery route and includes session data, excluding private windows. On Windows 10 or Windows 11 with Firefox Backup available, open Firefox’s ☰ > Settings > Account and sync, labeled Sync in the other layout, then select Restore your data. You can use the same Firefox path on Linux from Firefox 151 and macOS from Firefox 154 where the feature is available.
Click Browse… and select the backup file; the macOS file picker can label this Choose…. Enter the backup password if requested and complete restoration. This method requires an existing Firefox-generated backup.
Recover pages from history or another device
When full-session recovery fails, open ☰ > History > Manage history. Search with Search History, then double-click a result to reopen it. This recovers visited pages individually rather than rebuilding their original window arrangement.
Firefox View provides another place to look. Open Tools > Firefox View, select Recently Closed Tabs, and reopen an entry. Its Open Tabs area can also help you locate a tab still open in another window. Firefox View is unavailable in private windows.
If another device still has your pages and open-tab syncing is configured, open Firefox View > Tabs from other devices and select a tab. You can also open the synced-tabs sidebar using its laptop-and-phone icon. Right-click a device heading and select Open All in Tabs to reopen that device’s available synced URLs.
To enable open-tab syncing, sign in to the same Mozilla account on the relevant devices. On Windows 10 or Windows 11, open Firefox’s ☰ > Settings > Account and sync, labeled Sync in the other layout; the same Firefox path applies on macOS and Linux. Click Manage Sync… if syncing is on, or Turn on Syncing… if it is off. Check Open tabs and click Save; enabling syncing afterward cannot recreate already lost local data.
Return to Firefox tabs on your phone
On Android, open Firefox and tap the numeric tab icon beside the address bar. Select a regular tab, or expand Inactive tabs using its downward arrow to find an older retained tab. For a closed regular page, open the tab tray’s three-dot menu > Recently closed tabs and select an entry.
Immediately after closing an Android tab or all tabs, tap UNDO before the notification disappears. To prevent future automatic closures, open the three-dot menu > Settings > Tabs. Under Close tabs, select Never; this preserves future tabs rather than restoring deleted ones.
On iPhone or iPad, tap Firefox’s numeric tab icon and select the tab you want. If you are viewing private tabs, tap Tabs to return to regular tabs. To reopen a recently closed page, open Firefox’s menu, select History > Recently Closed, then select the page. You can also tap Undo immediately after closing a tab, before its notification disappears.
Make Firefox restore sessions automatically
On Windows 10 or Windows 11, open Firefox’s ☰ > Settings > Home and startup; the same Firefox path applies on macOS and Linux. In the other settings layout, choose General instead. Under Startup, check Open previous windows and tabs, then close Settings; changes save automatically.
Keep all the windows you want to restore open when you quit Firefox. On Windows, choose ☰ > Exit; on macOS, choose Firefox > Quit Firefox; on Linux, choose ☰ > Quit. Closing windows individually can leave only the final window in the startup session.
History settings also affect future recovery. On Windows 10 or Windows 11, open Firefox’s ☰ > Settings > Privacy & Security, labeled Privacy and security in the other layout, then find History. The same Firefox path applies on macOS and Linux. Select Remember history, or open the custom history controls and uncheck Always use private browsing mode; restart Firefox if requested.
To stop history deletion at shutdown, open Customize history or select Use custom settings for history in the same area. The redesigned layout may first require selecting Choose what you want Firefox to remember. Uncheck Clear history when Firefox closes. These changes preserve future data and cannot recover already erased history or closed private windows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Firefox save a set of tabs before you close them?
Yes, press Ctrl + Shift + D on Windows or Linux, or Command + Shift + D on macOS, name the folder, and save it. Later, open that folder in the Bookmarks menu and choose Open All in Tabs. This saves page URLs rather than the full session state.
Can you save a Firefox tab group and reopen it later?
Yes, in desktop Firefox with tab groups, right-click the group label and select Save and close group. Reopen it through List all tabs by selecting the saved group. Saved groups stay local and do not sync through Firefox Sync.
Can a session manager recover tabs that Firefox no longer has?
Tab Session Manager can reopen a session it previously saved, including an automatically saved session. Open the extension popup, select the saved session, and click Open. Installing it after data loss cannot recreate a session that was never saved.
How do you make Firefox on a phone return to the last active tab?
On Android, iPhone or iPad, open Firefox Home and tap Customize homepage. Under Opening Screen, select Last tab, then tap Done. This changes the return screen and does not recreate closed tabs.