Open a link in a new tab with the keyboard
Hold Ctrl and click a link on Windows, or hold ⌘ and click on Mac, to open it in a new background tab without leaving the page you're on.
| Action | Mac | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open link in new background tab | ⌘ + Click | Ctrl + Click | |
| Open link in new tab and switch to it | ⌘⇧ + Click | Ctrl+Shift + Click | |
| Open link in new tab (mouse only) | Middle-click | Middle-click | |
| Open link in a new window | ⇧ + Click | Shift + Click | |
| Reopen the last closed tab | ⌘⇧T | Ctrl+Shift+T |
Open a link in a new tab on Windows
Hold Ctrl and click any link to open it in a new tab in the background, so your current page stays in front. Add Shift (Ctrl+Shift + click) to open the link and jump straight to the new tab. This works in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Brave.
Open a link in a new tab on Mac
Hold ⌘ and click a link to open it in a background tab; use ⌘⇧ + click to open it and switch to it immediately. The behaviour is identical across Safari, Chrome and Firefox on macOS.
The mouse shortcut that works everywhere
On any OS and browser, a middle-click (press the scroll wheel) on a link opens it in a new background tab — the single fastest way if your mouse has a wheel. To open in a new window instead, hold Shift while clicking. Opened too many? reopen a closed tab or switch with next / previous tab.
FAQ
How do I open a link in a new tab with the keyboard?
Hold Ctrl and click the link on Windows, or hold ⌘ and click on Mac. It opens in a background tab while you stay on the current page.
How do I open a link in a new tab and switch to it?
Add Shift: Ctrl+Shift+Click on Windows, ⌘⇧Click on Mac, opens the link in a new tab and brings it to the front.
Is there a shortcut without the keyboard?
Yes — middle-click (press the mouse scroll wheel) on any link opens it in a new background tab in every major browser.