Reactivate / focus previously active tab after closing current tab

Feature requests
1

Right now, when the current active tab is closed, the tab on the right is activated. This is a common pattern in web browsers and multi-tab native apps.

Given that obsidian is an editor, it would preferable to default to (or add the option to) reactivating the previously active tab. This will speedup users who want to resume working on their last active tab/note.

10 Likes
2

Yeah, todays update broke my workflow.

I’m using the Open Tab Settings plugin to make links open in new tabs, and most natural behavior for opening is to the right of the current tab.

When I open a note in a tab to the right, do something and close it - previously I was getting back to the note where I started.
Now I’m getting to some other note. This is very inconvenient.

It would’ve been better if devs at least provided an option to keep the old behavior for a time being…

3

I hope i can choose to switch back to the previous behavior where the tab on the left gets activated when closing a tab.

4

Use case or problem

  • Tab behavior is different than Google Chrome, which generally selects tabs on the right.
  • Many popular editors allow on tab close, tab selection options

IntelliJ has options:

When the current tab is closed, activate:
- The tab on the left
- The tab on the right
- Most recently opened tab

Proposed solution

Add a setting like IntelliJ:

When the current tab is closed, activate:
- The tab on the left
- The tab on the right
- Most recently opened tab
4 Likes
5

partial work around

I’ve created a macro with the QuickAdd plugin that uses vanilla obsidian commands:

  • Close current tab
  • Wait for 100 ms
  • Go to next tab

Then reassigned the Ctrl+W hotkey from the default Close current tab command to this new macro. The “waiting” command is just there to allow the Close current tab command to execute before the Go to next tab, preventing the latter from executing prematurely. The sleep duration is entirely arbitrary and could be further shortened but works seamlessly as is.

Issues with solution

It is only a partial solution. If a user closes the last tab (as in last in the last in order) of a group, the Go to next tab cycles through and focuses on the first tab, instead of focusing on the new last tab as expected.

2 Likes
6

It is now August 2025 and I just wanted to say thank you for posting this! Obsidian moving to the left on closing a tab was super irritating to me after years of using Chrome/Mac OS.

I found 100ms felt a little janky so dropped it to 50 and it seems to be working well enough :slight_smile: Any chance you found a different solution in the interim that fixes the closing the rightmost tab behavior issue?

7

Use case or problem

The setting “always focus new tab” is enabled.

Imagine the following 3 tabs.
tab 1 ,tab 2, tab 3 (not yet opened)

The current behavior:

  1. Clicking file link in tab 1 → file opens in tab 3, focus changes to tab 3
  2. click x on tab 3 or run “close current tab” in tab 3 → tab 3 closes, focus changes to tab 2

Proposed solution

  1. Clicking file link in tab 1 → file opens in tab 3, focus changes to tab 3
  2. click x on tab 3 or run “close current tab” in tab 3 → tab 3 closes, focus changes to back to tab 1

Notes

The proposed close tab behavior would behave more like vscode.

I don’t seem to have the problem in internet browsers because browsers open a link in the tab immediately to the right of the current tab. However, while changing the place a tab opens may be an option, this feature request would be a better solution. It’s a better solution because of the following use case:

Additional Use Case

Imagine the following 3 tabs.
tab 1 (currently focused) ,tab 2, tab 3

Current Behavior

  1. Change focus to tab 3.
  2. Close tab 3 → focus changes to tab 2

Proposed Behavior

  1. Change focus to tab 3.
  2. Close tab 3 → focus changes to tab 1
1 Like
8

I’d love that! Are you aware of any workarounds atm?