How to Create and Sync Tab Groups in Google Chrome Across Multiple Devices

Working across multiple projects, research topics, and personal travel plans in Google Chrome frequently leads to “tab overload”—having fifty tiny, unidentifiable favicon tabs crammed across your top browser strip. Finding the one specific spreadsheet or article you need requires clicking through tabs one by one, creating visual clutter and distracting from your primary task.

Google Chrome solves tab clutter natively with Tab Groups and Tab Group Sync. Users can cluster related tabs into named, color-coded visual folders that can be collapsed with a single click to save space on the tab strip. Furthermore, modern Chrome versions automatically synchronize your saved tab groups across all your signed-in computers, Android phones, and iPhones. This guide covers how to create, collapse, and sync Tab Groups in Google Chrome.

Step-by-Step: Creating and Colour-Coding Tab Groups

1. Open Google Chrome on your computer.
2. Right-click on any open tab that you want to include in a group.
3. Select Add tab to new group.
4. A small customization menu pops up:
   • Type a descriptive name for your group (e.g. “Trip to Spain”, “Tax Prep”, or “Work Tasks”).
   • Click one of the eight circular colour dots (grey, blue, red, yellow, green, pink, purple, or cyan) to assign an aesthetic colour tag.
5. Press Enter to save the group.

A colourful pill badge will now label your tab group, with a matching colour underline spanning across all member tabs.

Adding and Collapsing Tabs

Once a group exists, managing it is effortless:

• Adding Additional Tabs: Click and drag any adjacent tab directly into the group until the colour underline extends beneath it, or right-click any tab and select Add tab to group > [Group Name].
• Collapsing to Save Space: Click the group name pill once. All member tabs collapse smoothly into the single name badge, instantly freeing up horizontal space on your tab bar. Click the name again to expand your tabs.

Enabling Tab Group Sync Across Devices

To ensure your carefully organized project groups follow you between your desktop PC, work laptop, and mobile phone:

1. In Chrome, click your Profile picture in the top-right corner.
2. Verify that you are signed in and that Sync is on.
3. Click the three-dot menu and select Settings > You and Google > Sync and Google services.
4. Click Manage what you sync.
5. Ensure either Sync everything or the Tabs toggle is switched to ON.

Now, your saved groups appear on the left side of your Bookmarks bar or inside the Tab Switcher on Chrome mobile.

Tab Group Productivity Overview