lesstabs

Here’s a question with a somewhat obvious answer: How many tabs do you have open in your browser right now? If you’re like most people, then the answer should range anywhere from a few to a dozen. Things get even trickier when undergoing a hardcore online research session or while working with web apps that actually require multiple tabs until the point where your screen is cluttered and, yes, you’ve guessed it: your productivity plunders.

There are a lot of nifty tools out there capable of helping you either thoroughly organize your browser tabs or even suspend them so that your computer’s performance does not take a big hit, but more often than not, the most elegant solutions are usually the simplest.

And that’s exactly what lesstabs is all about: simplicity and elegance. lesstabs is a Google Chrome extension that aims to lend you a helping hand when it comes to the whole tab stacking (or hording, you might call it) situation by automatically closing and archiving old inactive tabs.

To be more precise, the extension automatically closes and archives tabs that have been inactive for a 24-hour period. It then lists the archives in a custom “New Tab” page from where you effortlessly access them later. Please note that pinned tabs are excluded.

The beauty of lesstabs is that it works without user intervention: just a small extension taking care of things for you. Chances are, you won’t even notice its presence, especially if you opt to hide its icon.

It’s true that it would exactly be the perfect companion for users who require comprehensive tab management options, but comparing it with a more complicated and definitely more capable solution for tab organization would mean missing the point.

There’s a saying that states the following: “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” This is definitely true in the case of lesstabs. For some, it won’t be nearly enough when dealing with large numbers of tabs while others will surely find it simplicity harmonious.