By Marlo Anderson – The Tech Ranch
Reading a page full of links? Instead of clicking one, reading it, and hitting Back, hold Ctrl and click. Each link opens in a new tab in the background while you stay right where you are.
The Shortcut
- Ctrl + Click: open a link in a new background tab
- Works in Chrome, Edge and Firefox
- Mac: ⌘ + Click
Bonus Tip: Open It and Go There
Ctrl + Shift + Click opens the link in a new tab and switches you to it (⌘ + Shift + Click on a Mac). Got a mouse with a scroll wheel? Click a link with the wheel to open it in a new tab, too.
More Keyboard Shortcuts, Explained
This is part of my Keyboard Shortcuts Explained series: quick, plain-English tips that make everyday computer work faster. Watch the whole series on YouTube and subscribe to The Tech Ranch so you don’t miss the next one. Short on time? Here’s the quick Short version.
Found this helpful? Give the video a thumbs up on YouTube. Got a shortcut you can’t live without? Tell me in the YouTube comments and it might show up in a future video.
