Jump Back to Last Tab in Arc Browser (Easy Way)

This guide shows you how to jump back to the last tab you were viewing in Arc, the Chromium-based browser from The Browser Company. Arc organizes tabs into Spaces and a sidebar, and its “back to previous tab” shortcut works differently from Chrome or Safari. You’ll learn the exact keyboard shortcut, the mouse-based alternative, and how to fix it when the jump doesn’t land where you expect. No setup is required — the feature works out of the box.

What You’ll Need

• Arc browser installed on macOS or Windows (the shortcut is the same on both, but the modifier key differs — see step 1).
• A keyboard with the Command key (Mac) or Ctrl key (Windows).
• At least two tabs open in the same window (the shortcut only works within the current window, not across separate Arc windows).

Step-by-Step

1. Identify your modifier key. On macOS, use the Command (⌘) key. On Windows, use the Ctrl key. The rest of the shortcut is identical.
2. Press the shortcut. Press Command+Shift+Tab (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+Tab (Windows). This immediately switches you to the tab you were viewing just before the current one.
3. Press it again to toggle back. Pressing the same shortcut again returns you to the tab you were on before you pressed it the first time. This acts like a two-tab toggle, letting you flip back and forth between two tabs quickly.
4. Use the mouse alternative (optional). If you prefer not to use the keyboard, hover over the tab you’re currently on in the sidebar. A small back arrow icon appears at the top-right of the sidebar (next to the new tab button). Click it to jump to the previous tab. Click it again to go back to the one you came from.
5. Check the tab order. The shortcut follows the order in which you viewed tabs, not the order they appear in the sidebar. If you clicked Tab A, then Tab B, then Tab C, pressing the shortcut from Tab C takes you to Tab B, not Tab A.

Common Mistakes

• Using the wrong modifier key. On a Mac, pressing Ctrl+Shift+Tab (without Command) may do nothing or trigger a different action. On Windows, pressing Command+Shift+Tab does nothing because there is no Command key. Always match the key to your operating system.
• Expecting it to jump across windows. The shortcut only remembers tabs within the same Arc window. If you have two separate Arc windows open, the “last tab” is the last one you viewed in that window, not the last tab you viewed globally.
• Confusing it with browser history. This shortcut is not the same as the back button. It does not go back to the previous page in the current tab; it switches to a different tab entirely.
• Holding the keys too long. If you hold down Shift+Tab (without releasing), the browser may cycle through all tabs in order instead of just jumping to the last one. Tap the keys quickly.

Tips

• Use it for split-screen work. If you’re comparing two pages (e.g., a spec sheet and a review), open both tabs, then use the shortcut to flip between them without touching the mouse.
• Pair with Command+Tab (Mac) or Alt+Tab (Windows). The Arc shortcut switches tabs within Arc; the OS-level shortcut switches between entire apps. Using both together lets you move between a chat app and two Arc tabs efficiently.
• Customize the shortcut if needed. Arc lets you remap keyboard shortcuts. Go to Arc > Settings > Shortcuts (Mac) or the hamburger menu > Settings > Shortcuts (Windows). Search for “Previous Tab” and assign a different key combination if you find Shift+Tab awkward.
• Use it with pinned tabs. The shortcut works with pinned tabs too. If you jump from a pinned tab (like Gmail) to a regular tab, pressing the shortcut takes you back to Gmail instantly.

Troubleshooting

• Nothing happens when I press the shortcut. First, make sure you’re using the correct modifier key for your OS (Command on Mac, Ctrl on Windows). Then check that you have at least two tabs open in the current window. If you only have one tab, there is no “last tab” to go back to. Also, make sure the focus is on the web page, not on the sidebar or address bar — click on the page first, then try the shortcut.
• It jumps to a tab I didn’t expect. The shortcut remembers the order you viewed tabs, not the order they appear in the sidebar. If you clicked Tab 1, then Tab 2, then Tab 3, the shortcut from Tab 3 goes to Tab 2. To go to Tab 1, you’d need to press it twice. This is normal behavior.
• It only works once, then stops. If you press the shortcut, then click a different tab with the mouse, the “last tab” memory resets. The shortcut only toggles between the two most recent tabs. If you introduce a third tab, the memory updates to the most recent pair.
• The back arrow icon in the sidebar is missing. The arrow only appears when you hover over the currently active tab. If you’re not hovering, it won’t show. Move your mouse over the tab’s name in the sidebar and look at the top-right corner of the sidebar — it should appear there. If it still doesn’t, restart Arc (quit and reopen) to refresh the UI.
• I’m using Arc on Windows and the shortcut opens a new tab. This can happen if a browser extension or a Windows keyboard utility (like PowerToys) has intercepted Ctrl+Shift+Tab. Try disabling extensions one by one, or check your keyboard remapping software. If the issue persists, use the mouse-based back arrow instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this shortcut work in Arc’s “Little Arc” mini window?
Yes, the same shortcut works in Little Arc, but only if you have multiple tabs open in that mini window. Little Arc typically shows one tab, so the shortcut may do nothing unless you’ve opened additional tabs within it.

Can I jump to the last tab across different Spaces?
No. The shortcut only remembers tabs within the same Space. If you switch Spaces, the “last tab” memory resets for that Space. To jump between Spaces, use the Space switcher in the sidebar or the keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Space on Mac, Ctrl+Shift+Space on Windows).

Is there a way to see a list of recently viewed tabs?
Yes. Click the tab switcher icon (the grid of squares) at the top of the sidebar, or press Command+Shift+9 (Mac) / Ctrl+Shift+9 (Windows). This shows a chronological list of tabs you’ve viewed, and you can click any of them to jump there.

Does this shortcut work with split view tabs?
Yes, but it treats the split view as a single tab. If you’re in a split view (two pages side by side), the shortcut will jump to the previous tab you were on before entering the split view. It won’t switch between the two panes of the split view.

Why does Arc remember the last tab differently than Chrome?
Chrome’s Ctrl+Shift+Tab cycles through tabs in the order they appear in the tab strip. Arc’s shortcut is a “jump to last viewed” command, which is more like the “back” button in a file explorer. This is intentional — Arc is designed around tab switching by recency, not by position.

Can I use this shortcut to go back to a tab I closed?
No. The shortcut only works with open tabs. If you closed a tab, use Command+Shift+T (Mac) / Ctrl+Shift+T (Windows) to reopen the last closed tab, then the jump-to-last shortcut will work again.

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