The quickest way to reopen a recently closed browser tab or window in Windows 10 is by using a simple keyboard shortcut.
Reopening with the Keyboard Shortcut
For most web browsers (like Chrome, Firefox, Edge), you can easily bring back a closed tab or window:
Simply press Ctrl + Shift + T keys together.
As the reference suggests, you may need to press Ctrl + Shift + T keys together repeatedly to cycle through the tabs or windows you closed most recently, bringing back the last closed one with each press.
This shortcut is incredibly useful because it works chronologically, reopening the windows/tabs in the reverse order that you closed them.
How Ctrl + Shift + T Works
This shortcut is primarily a browser function, not a universal Windows operating system function for any type of window (like a File Explorer window or a specific application window). When you use Ctrl + Shift + T in a web browser:
- It checks the browser's history for the most recently closed tab or window.
- It reopens that specific tab or window, restoring its content and history (if applicable).
- Subsequent presses reopen older closed tabs/windows.
This shortcut is your best friend when you accidentally close a tab or an entire browser window containing multiple tabs.
Alternative Method: Browser History
If you closed a window long ago or the Ctrl + Shift + T shortcut doesn't reopen exactly what you need, you can always resort to your browser's history:
- Open your web browser.
- Go to the browser's menu (usually three dots or lines).
- Look for "History".
- Click on History to see a list of recently visited pages and closed tabs/windows.
- Find the page or window you want to reopen and click on it.
Note: This method allows you to find older closed windows or specific pages within them, but it requires more steps than the shortcut.
| Method | Ease of Use | Speed | Scope (Primarily) |
|---|---|---|---|
Ctrl + Shift + T |
Easy | Fast | Browser Tabs/Windows |
| Browser History | Moderate | Slower | Specific Pages/Older Activity |
While Ctrl + Shift + T is the go-to shortcut specifically for browser windows/tabs as implied by its common usage and the reference, there is no single universal shortcut to reopen any recently closed application window in Windows 10 (like a Word document window or a File Explorer window). For those, you would typically need to reopen the application itself.
Using Ctrl + Shift + T is the most direct method to recover a browser session you just accidentally closed.
