How to Fix: Chromecontinue Where You Left off Feature Not Working
There are many reasons why the Google Chrome browser may need to close or relaunch. This can happen during updates or after crashes. When it does, the continuity feature known as Chrome “Continue where you left off” is designed to save and reopen your previously opened tabs.
Except when it doesn’t.
Below, we’ll walk through troubleshooting steps for when this feature isn’t working and explain how to get your system back on track.
Common Causes of the Feature Not Working
There are several reasons why Google Chrome’s restore tabs and Continue where left functionality may fail, including:
- Chrome wasn’t closed properly or crashed
- Issues with your session files, such as corruption
- You’re using unsafe or buggy extensions
- Background apps are causing problems
- You have too many open Chrome tabs or windows
- Your computer isn’t running optimally, such as having low RAM or disk space
- Syncing problems with your Google Chrome accounts or profiles
The causes of the Chrome Continue where you left off feature not working can extend beyond this list. Fortunately, the solutions below address a wide range of common problems.
Simple Solution to Try First for Continue Where Left Off Issues
For Chrome Continue where left issues, start with the quickest fix: close the browser completely. Make sure all windows and Chrome tabs are closed, then reopen the browser and check whether the feature works again.
If that doesn’t help, try restarting your computer. Yes, it’s a simple step, but it often clears minor system glitches that interfere with normal browser behavior.
A Quick Fix for Chrome Issues That You Might Be Overlooking
Before we jump browser-first into any Chrome Continue where you left off issues, it’s worth considering whether your network or system stability is contributing to the problem. If your connection is unstable or your system is under strain, Chrome may struggle to function properly.
Using a service like NordVPN not only protects your privacy and makes your browsing more secure, but it will also stabilize your connection and reduce conflicts that affect Google Chrome and other apps while you troubleshoot.
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Quick and Easy Troubleshooting Tips That Actually Work
Losing an important tab can be frustrating, but it does not have to mean the end of that project you have worked so hard on, or the research you were right in the middle of. Here is a list of tips to try when your previously open tabs aren’t automatically recovered by Chrome.
1. Chrome: Activate Continue Where You Left Off
One of the first things to check when troubleshooting the Chrome Continue where you left off feature, is whether the feature is actually enabled. Here’s what to do:
- Open Chrome.
- Click the More options button and select Settings from the menu.
- Scroll down to the On Startup section.
- Select the Continue where you left off option.
2. Update the Chrome Browser
If there’s an available Chrome update, this may solve your tab issues, especially if there were bugs or glitches with previous versions. Here are the steps:
- Click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner to open the Chrome menu.
- Select Help → About Google Chrome.
- The next screen will automatically start updating your Chrome version if it is outdated.
- When the update is finished, restart the browser.
The above steps may solve your problems with the Continue where you left off feature. But if not, try this:
3. Disable and Re-enable Chrome Continue Where You Left Off
Toggling this feature off and on again can fix any issues that may have prevented it from functioning properly in the past. Here’s how to do it:
- Click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner to open the Chrome menu.
- Select Settings.
- On the left of the screen, select On Startup.
- Click the bubble to Open the New Tab page.
- Close Chrome.
- Reopen Chrome and repeat the steps until you return to the On Startup menu.
- Select Continue where you left off.
- Restart Chrome and test again to see if the issue is resolved.
4. Pay Attention to How You Close Chrome
If you manually close individual tabs before exiting Chrome, only the most recent tab may reopen. Exiting the browser normally, rather than closing tabs one by one, helps ensure all your Chrome tabs are restored.
5. Disable Continue Running Background Apps
Sometimes disabling this feature can help with being able to restore tabs. Here are the steps:
- Access the Chrome menu from the three vertical dots.
- Go to Settings.
- Go to System (on the left side of your screen).
- Toggle off the Continue running background apps when Google Chrome is closed option.
- Restart the browser and see if this resolves the problem.
6. Check/Disable Extensions
Another way to fix Continue where you left off not working, is to check the extensions you have running. These can sometimes interfere with Chrome’s built-in functionalities, and may be the cause of your issue. Disable the extensions and then check if your tabs are successfully restored.
- Open Chrome.
- Click More tools → Extensions
- Turn the switch next to each extension off.
- Restart Chrome and test the restore tabs feature.
7. Create New Chrome Profile
Another possibility is that your Chrome profile is corrupted. Though this is rare, it can cause problems with Chrome’s native features. The easiest fix is to create a new profile:
- Open Chrome.
- Click your profile icon at the top.
- Select Add.
- Enter a name for your new profile.
- Sign in to your Google account to select the new profile.
- Your data should be synced to your new profile once you start using it.
- Delete your old profile if the issue persists, and then try again.
8. Reset Chrome
If the feature still doesn’t work to restore tabs, reset Chrome.
- Open Chrome.
- Click the More options button in the top right.
- Select Settings from the menu.
- Scroll down and click Advanced.
- Select Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Click Reset settings.
9. Clean install Chrome
If none of the above troubleshooting tips have resolved the issue, you can try what is called a “clean install” of Chrome. Simply follow these steps:
- Open Chrome.
- Paste this into the location bar: chrome://version.
- Copy the link to your profile.
- Open the link inFile Explorer.
- CloseChrome.
- Go to the root Chrome folder and delete it.
- Open Control Panel.
- Select Programs → Uninstall a program.
- Select Chrome and click the Uninstall button.
- Download Chrome and install it again.
10. Check for Multiple Desktops
Using multiple virtual desktops can hide restored chrome tabs. Before you start troubleshooting—especially after a crash or system restart—check all your virtual desktops. Some missing tabs or windows may simply be open on a different desktop.
In some cases, Chrome restores tabs on one virtual desktop but fails to restore them on another. If Chrome crashes unexpectedly, it may also lose tabs altogether. When that happens, closing additional desktops can actually help, even if it seems counterintuitive.
In that case (though it may seem counterintuitive), closing your additional tabs may be the best option. Here’s how to identify and close multiple desktops in Windows:
- Press the Windows key + Tab key to open Task View
- If there are multiple desktops open, you should see them. If you see multiple desktops, use the arrow keys or your mouse to switch between them. You can close a desktop by pressing the Delete key or clicking the red close button.
- If you have several desktops open, you can close them using the same process.
Note: Once a desktop is closed, any open windows or tabs from that desktop should move to Desktop 1, so you won’t need to hunt through multiple desktops to find them.
11. Look for “Create Shortcut” Conflicts
If you use the Create Shortcut feature for some apps or websites, it can interfere with Chrome’s Continue where you left off behavior. Shortcuts turn sites into app-like windows, and Google Chrome sometimes treats these differently from standard browser tabs.
As a result, apps or sites launched this way may not reopen when you use the Continue where you left off feature, meaning they won’t always be included when Chrome tries to restore tabs. In these cases, you’ll usually need to reopen the shortcuts manually.
A few things to keep in mind:
- If you’re not sure whether a site was opened as a shortcut, think about whether it launched in a separate window rather than among your regular chrome tabs.
- You can usually find missing shortcuts by searching your taskbar or Start menu.
- Going forward, bookmarking pages instead of creating shortcuts can reduce the risk of losing access when Chrome fails to restore an app or page.
Some users also report seeing a single blank tab instead of their previous session. If that happens, try opening the three vertical dots, selecting History, and choosing Restore your tabs or window from there.
You can also delete the shortcut entirely and save the site another way to avoid conflicts. That said, you may never run into this issue at all. Newer versions of Chrome tend to handle shortcuts more reliably, so if this isn’t affecting you, it may be better to focus on a different troubleshooting step for missing tabs.
12. Multiple Chrome Windows Issues
The Chrome Continue where you left off feature can sometimes misbehave when you use multiple windows. Some common issues you may run into under these circumstances include:
- One window’s tabs or state may replace another window’s
- The wrong window may be restored or some may be missing
- Some windows or tabs may be duplicated
- Chrome may be sluggish, crash, or freeze
- Incognito windows may not be restored
- Window sizes and grouping may not be restored correctly
To prevent these mishaps, try using tab groups, reduce how many windows you use (instead of using more Chrome tabs), and manually close Chrome from time to time, so it’s less likely to crash.
How to Enable on Mac (OS X El Capitan)
If you’re a Mac user who wants to enable the Continue where left off feature to restore tabs, you may want some steps to make it easier:
- Open the Google Chrome browser on your Mac.
- Click the three vertical dots and select Settings.
- On the left side of the screen, select On startup for various startup options.
- Choose Continue where you left off to have this feature constantly enabled, letting you restore tabs easily.
Never Lose Tabs Again: How to Reopen Closed Tabs
Dealing with bugs and glitches can be extremely frustrating when time is short. If Google Chrome isn’t able to automatically restore your tabs, and you just want a quick fix, there are several ways to do this yourself:
1. Using a Keyboard Shortcut to Restore Tabs
One option when you find that Chrome Continue where you left off isn’t working, is to use keyboard shortcuts. These are especially useful if there was an unexpected crash, or you simply closed a tab accidentally. Here’s the keyboard combo you should use:
For Windows:
- Ctrl + Shift + T
For Mac:
- Cmd + Shift + T
This shortcut will automatically reopen a recently closed tab.
2. Reopen Closed Tabs Through Chrome’s History
Your most recently opened tabs are also accessible through Chrome’s History. It’s easy to access through the app’s menu:
- Open the Google Chrome menu by clicking the three vertical dots.
- Select History.
- The Recent Tabs section displays a list of your most recently opened tabs.
- Simply select the one you wish to reopen.
Another option is to follow the steps above and select either History from the open menu (which will group your recent tabs chronologically), or to choose Grouped History, which organizes recent tabs by group.
Troubleshooting Complete: Enjoy a Smoother Chrome Experience
Chrome’s Continue where you left off feature is a handy addition that can help you flow seamlessly from one session to the next. These easy troubleshooting tips should ensure that you have an uninterrupted browsing experience, even when bugs and glitches threaten to throw the system out.
Google Chrome’s Continue where you left off feature is a handy feature that can help you flow seamlessly from one session to the next. We hope these troubleshooting tips ensure you have an uninterrupted browsing experience, even when bugs and glitches threaten to run your day!
Related Posts/Resources
The Chrome Continue where you left off feature isn’t the only browser issue that may get thrown at you. Here are some other related guides that you may find useful:
- Best Chrome VPN extensions
- How to hard refresh Chrome
- How to send secure emails on Chrome
- How to clear recent tabs history for Chrome tabs
- How to close Safari tabs
Chrome Continue Where You Left Off: FAQs
Here are some common questions about the Continue where left off feature and related chrome tabs issues.
Does incognito mode affect the Continue where you left off feature?
Yes. Using incognito mode to stay private on the Chrome browser can prevent current tabs from being saved into your browser history, and may affect access to them later.
Yes. If your google chrome browser is synced across multiple devices and there’s a syncing issue, it may not be able to restore your previous tabs on those devices. This can also happen if one device has an outdated browser version. To prevent this, ensure your syncing configuration and Chrome versions match on all your linked devices. You can access sync options by clicking your profile image on the top right of your screen. A menu will appear with syncing settings and other options that you can customize.
It can, yes. If you have tons of tabs open, it may bog down Chrome’s ability to restore tabs and sessions. Having too many tabs open increases the risk of data corruption, causes laggy or slow performance due to overstrained resources, and raises the chance of the browser crashing, which can interfere with tab restoration.
Absolutely. A Chrome malware infection or system virus may affect your browser and disrupt or change syncing settings, browser settings, and configurations. It might even corrupt your data, such as your files or profile settings. Increased session crashes can also be the result of strained resources, which may affect Chrome’s ability to restore tabs. If you’re worried about malware: perform an antivirus scan, hunt for any Google Chrome extensions that look suspicious, and clear your browsing data and cache. As a last resort, create a new Chrome profile if you think your usual one may be corrupted.
Sometimes Chrome restores more tabs than were open when it last closed. One reason is that the browser doesn’t always save a single, clean session. Instead, it may write session data in stages, allowing multiple versions to exist at the same time, which can get mixed up when your tabs are restored.
