Google Chrome’s “Tab declutter” for Android to enhance tab management could be here soon

First spotted back in March, Google is continuing its work in enhancing its Chrome browser for Android users, introducing a “Tab Declutter” feature to streamline tab management. This feature will automatically archive tabs that have been inactive for 7 days, potentially freeing up memory and improving the browser’s performance.

The “Tab declutter” flag, as documented on Chromium Gerrit

Google is also exploring additional options to enhance this feature. They are considering a feature that would clear browsing data specifically from archived tabs, separate from the data of active tabs. This means cached files and cookies from active tabs would remain untouched, while the data from archived tabs would be cleared. This could offer more granular control over browsing data management within Chrome’s settings.

While some users might prefer to manually manage their tabs, this feature could be a valuable tool for those who often find themselves with an overwhelming number of open tabs. I, for one, could benefit from this, as sometimes it is difficult to discern which tabs could be archived while I finish one task. It is not yet known when this feature will be put into production, but its continued development suggests this could be soon.