When it comes to web browsers, Google Chrome consistently ranks as one of the most powerful and widely used platforms, especially among users deeply integrated into the Google ecosystem.
Thanks to seamless syncing across devices, Chrome has become a go-to browser on both desktop and mobile. Now, the software giant is set to roll out another productivity-enhancing feature that could streamline mobile browsing: drag-and-drop tab archiving.
Chrome 139 to Introduce Inactive Tab Archiving
Chrome for Android Gets Game-Changing Tab Archiving Feature in Upcoming
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Due out July 30, 2025, is version 139 of Chrome on Android, which promises to include the feature to drag and drop tabs into an “Inactive Tabs” area. The small but effective change was initially discovered in the Canary Build by renowned feature sleuth Leopeva64, who also posted a video showing the feature at work.
In addition to automatically archiving tabs, Chrome for Android will also let you manually archive tabs by dragging and dropping them into the ‘Inactive tabs’ section of the tab switcher. This feature was originally spotted by Chrome Story, but it just started working in Canary: pic.twitter.com/TKDk57lnBx
— Leopeva64 (@Leopeva64) June 2, 2025
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How the New Chrome Tab Archive Feature Works
The fundamental idea is straightforward yet useful: users can tap, hold, and drag any active tab into the Inactive area, effectively archiving it for future use. As soon as a tab is archived, the Inactive Tabs count reflects real-time adjustments, providing users with a better understanding of which tabs are shelved and how many they’ve saved.”.
Android Police reports that this is particularly beneficial for multitaskers on-the-go and frequent tabbers who tend to fight against messy browser pages. By relocating unused tabs out of the active view, users can clean up their work area, boost concentration, and even maximize browser speed.
Android Users Need to Know This
Mobile web browsing tends to be more disorganized than desktop, with less screen space and tiny UI components. As a result, the ease with which one can archive tabs might make Google Chrome for Android that much simpler.
Users are now able to opt to send information-dense pages that they will need later to the shelf, rather than losing them to expired tabs or lengthy history searches.
Additionally, this addition fits within Google’s larger initiative to make Chrome a smarter, more intelligent browser. From desktop tab grouping to read-later functionality, this drag-and-drop feature keeps the trend going for enhancing workflow and browser organization.
Early Access via Canary Build
While the public will wait until late July for Chrome 139, the feature is already available to testers of the Canary build, Google’s beta version of Chrome. However, would-be testers should be aware that Canary builds are unstable and might include bugs or performance issues.
Nevertheless, if you’re an early adopter or a technophile who wants to experiment with this feature right now, installing Canary provides you with a chance to try it out for yourself. Just be ready for some periodic glitch or crash.
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