What is a “new tab” on an Android phone and how to use it correctly

Have you ever noticed how your Android smartphone suddenly starts to “slow down”, although the memory is free and applications closed? The culprit often becomes a seemingly harmless function - new tab in the browser or system applications. This small interface detail can dramatically affect the performance, battery consumption and even security of the device. But what is it really?

In this article we will figure out what new tab on Android from a technical point of view, how it differs from “windows” on a PC, why some apps create them without your knowledge, and most importantly, how to manage tabs to make your phone run faster. You will learn hidden functions that are not written about in standard instructions, and learn to distinguish useful tabs from those that steal resources.

Spoiler: after reading, you will stop closing tabs one by one and learn massively clear background processes in 2 seconds - without root access and third-party utilities. You will also understand why tabs behave differently in Chrome and Samsung Internet and how to fix it.

What is a tab on Android: technical explanation

On Android tab is not just a “window in the browser”, but a separate WebViewprocess or Activity in the device memory. Each tab consumes:

• 🔹 Random access memory (RAM) — from 50 to 300 MB per tab (depending on the content of the page)
• 🔹 CPU time —even closed tabs can execute scripts in the background
• 🔹 Network traffic —some sites update data in real time
• 🔹 Battery energy —up to 15% additional consumption with 10+ open tabs

Unlike desktop browsers, where tabs are isolated in one process (Chrome uses the model multi-process), on Android each tab can launch a separate Linux process. This is done for stability: if one tab “falls”, the rest will continue to work. But this architecture has a downside - memory fragmentationdue to which the system begins to freeze.

Interesting fact: in Android 12+ Google introduced a mechanism ProcessStateManager, which forcibly “freezes” inactive tabs after 5 minutes of inactivity. However, this does not work in all browsers - for example Firefox for Android ignores this optimization by default.

How to open a new tab: all methods

Methods for opening a new tab depend on the application. In the standard Google Chrome this is done like this:

1. Click on the icon "⋮" (three dots) in the upper right corner → select New tab.
2. Use gesture: swipe down on the address bar (does not work on all versions).
3. Enter your query in the address bar and press Enter —a new tab will open automatically if enabled in the settings option Open links in a new tab.

In other browsers, the algorithm may differ:

Browser	Opening method	Features
Samsung Internet	Button “+” to the right of the last tab or swipe left gesture on the tab bar	Supports DeX mode for multitasking
Firefox	Icon "⋮" → New tab or long tap on the link	You can open private tabs with tracker blocking
Opera	The “+” button in the bottom menu or the voice command “Open new” tab"	Built-in VPN works separately for each tab
Brave	Swipe up gesture from the bottom panel or the “+” button in the right corner	Automatically blocks ads on new tabs

Important: a Android 14 function has appeared that “freezes” invisible tabs, saving up to 40% of memory. To activate it, go to Partial Tab Freezing, which “freezes” invisible tabs, saving up to 40% of memory. To activate it, go to Settings → System → Memory optimization.

Hidden tabs: how to find and close them

Many users do not suspect that dozens of hidden tabsare open on their phone. They appear when:

• 🔗 You follow links from messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram)
• 📥 Applications open web pages in the background (for example, Instagram for authorization)
• 🤖 Weather or news widgets load content via WebView
• 📊 Some games show ads in separate tabs

To find all open tabs:

1. Open your browser → tap on the icon "□" (square) in the upper right corner (in Chromeor swipe down from the address bar.
2. in Samsung Internet swipe left on the tab bar - it will open list recently closed.
3. Use Task Manager: go to Settings → Applications → Running and find processes named com.android.chrome:tab.

Warning: some tabs cannot be closed using standard means. For example, Facebook and TikTok open WebViewwindows that hang in the background as separate processes. you need:

adb shell am force-stop com.facebook.katana

(required USB debugging and Android SDK).

How to check how much memory the tabs are eating?

Open Settings → Memory → Memory usage and find browser processes. Chrome one tab with YouTube can take up to 500 MB RAMeven if the video is not playing.

Why the phone slows down due to tabs (and how to fix it)

Myth: "Closing tabs speeds up the phone." In fact, Android is optimized for working with many processes, and constantly closing tabs can increase the problem is not their battery. quantity, and in content type:

Tab type	RAM consumption	Impact on battery
Static page (Wikipedia)	20-50 MB	Minimum
Social networks (VK, Instagram)	100-200 MB	Medium (background updates)
Video (YouTube, Twitch)	300-800 MB	High (video decoding)
Online games (for example, Agar.io)	500 MB+	Critical (WebGL rendering)

The real reason for the brakes is memory leaks in the browser. For example, in Chrome 115+ there is a bug due to which tabs with Google Docs do not release RAM after closing. To fix this:

1. Open chrome://flags in the address bar.
2. Find the flag #enable-tab-discarding and set the value Enabled.
3. Restart the browser.

Close video/game tabs after use

Disable background synchronization in browser settings

Use “Easy Mode” in Chrome (chrome://flags/#enable-lite-mode)

Limit the number of tabs to 5-7 pieces

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Critical error: many users try to close tabs through Task Manager (the "Clear all" button), but this kills all browser processes, including saved passwords and sessions. It is more correct to use the built-in browser function:

⚠️ Attention: B Android 13 and newer force closing of the browser via “Clear all” may result in loss of unsaved data in Google Docs or Notion. Always close tabs manually first.

How to manage tabs like a pro: hidden tricks

Few people know, but Android there are hidden gestures settings for working with tabs:

• 👆 Quick switching: in Chrome swipe left/right on the address bar to move between tabs.
• 🔍 Search by tabs: in Samsung Internet tap on the magnifying glass icon in the tab bar - you can search by name or URL.
• 📱 Multitasking: in One UI 5.0+ you can open two tabs in Split Screen-mode: hold the browser icon in the recent applications menu and select Open in split screen.
• 🔒 Tab protection: in Firefox you can lock individual tabs with a password (extension Tab Lock).

For advanced users: if you need automatically close tabs after a certain time, use Tasker or Automate with this script:

Profile: Close Tabs After 1 Hour
Event: Browser Opened
Task:
1. Wait 1 hour
2. Shell: input tap 950 50 (coordinates of the close tab button in Chrome)
3. Repeat 10 times (closes 10 tabs)

Beware of applications like Tab Manager or RAM Booster —they often contain adware and do not provide a real performance boost. Instead, use the built-in tools:

⚠️ Attention: Applications for “RAM cleaning” Play Market may conflict with the mechanism Low Memory Killer (LMK) v Androidwhich will lead to frequent reboots phone. Google officially recommends avoiding such utilities.

Tabs vs. windows: what is the difference and what is better to use

Many are confused tabs and windows on Android, but these are fundamentally different things:

Parameter	Tabs	Windows (Split Screen)
RAM Consumption	Low (general process)	High (individual processes)
Multitasking	Limited to one application	Working with two applications at the same time
Gesture support	Swipe between tabs	Split screen finger
Compatibility	All browsers	Only Android 7.0+

When to use what:

• 📂 Tabs: to work with multiple web pages in one browser (for example, reading articles + watching videos).
• 🪟 Windows: when you need to simultaneously use a browser and another application (for example, correspondence in Telegram + searching for information in Chrome).

To open a window in Split Screen:

1. Open the first application (for example, Chrome).
2. Hold the second application icon in the recent tasks menu.
3. Select Open in split screen.
4. Adjust the border between windows by swiping.

On Samsung DeX or Motorola Ready For windows work like on a PC - they can be dragged, resized and even minimized to the taskbar. This is especially convenient for work tasks, for example, when you need:

• 📊 Compare data from Google Sheets i Excel Online.
• 📝 Take notes in Google Keepwhile reading the article.
• 🎵 Listen to music in YouTube Music and view the lyrics.

Security: can tabs track you?

Yes, and this is one of the most underrated threats on AndroidOpen tabs can:

• 🕵️‍♂️ Track location via Geolocation API (even if you didn't give permission browser!).
• 🎥 Turn on camera/microphone without your knowledge (vulnerability CVE-2023-2136 in Chrome).
• 💰 Mine cryptocurrency in the background (sites with scripts Coinhive).
• 🔄 Synchronize data with Google servers (if tab synchronization is enabled).

How to protect yourself:

1. Disable Tab synchronization in settings Google account.
2. Use extensions like uBlock Origin (available for Firefox and Kiwi Browser).
3. Regularly check site permissions: in Chrome go to Settings → Website Permissions.
4. Install Bromite a browser with built-in tracker blocking and a patch for CVE-2023-2136.

Warning: if you use incognito mode, this does not make you anonymous! Tabs in incognito:

• ✅ Do not save history on the device.
• ❌ Do not hide your IP from sites and provider.
• ❌ Do not block trackers (additional extensions are needed).

For real anonymity, use:

• 🛡️ Browser Tor Browser for Android (routes traffic through the network Tor).
• 🔐 VPN with function Double VPN (for example, ProtonVPN).
• 🚫 Disable WebRTC v browser settings (may reveal your real IP).

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about tabs on Android

🔹 Why does it open again after closing a tab?

This happens due to the function Background Sync v ChromeSome sites (for example, Gmail or Slack) forcedly restore the tab to update the data. To disable:

1. Go to chrome://flags.
2. Find #background-sync and install Disabled.

Also check your Google account settings - if synchronization is enabled Open tabs, they will be restored after the phone is rebooted.

🔹 Is it possible to transfer tabs to another phone?

Yes, if you have synchronization enabled with your Google account:

1. On the old phone: Chrome Settings → Sync → Enable.
2. On the new phone: sign in to the same Google account and open Chrome -tabs will appear automatically.

For Samsung Internet use Samsung Cloud: Settings → Accounts and archiving → Data archiving.

🔹 Why do tabs in Chrome and Samsung Internet look different?

This is due to rendering engine:

• Chrome uses Blink (as on PC).
• Samsung Internet — Chromium with its own optimizations for One UI.

Because of this, some sites may display differently or run slower. For example, Netflix V Samsung Internet supports 1080p, and in Chrome only 720p.

🔹 How to return an accidentally closed tab?

Recovery methods:

• Chrome: click on the "□" icon → a banner will appear at the bottom Recently closed.
• Samsung Internet: swipe left on the tab bar → section Recently closed.
• Firefox: click on icon “⋮” → History → Recently closed tabs.

If a tab has not been restored, try to manually find it in the history (chrome://history).

🔹 Is it possible to disable tabs completely?

Technically yes, but it will break most applications. Alternatives:

• Use single-window browsers like DuckDuckGo or Ecosia —they do not support tabs by default.
• In Chrome disable multitasking via chrome://flags/#enable-tab-groups (install Disabled).
• Install Lightning Browser - it works in one window, but supports WebApps (sites like applications).

Warning: without tabs, you will not be able to normally use Google Docs, Trello or other services that require multiple windows.