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How to make Ctrl+Tab cycle between last used tabs in Google Chrome

Google Chrome doesn’t allow you to use Ctrl+Tab shortcut for navigation between last used tabs.

But this is a very common feature among many other tools that support multiple tabs (especialy among software development tools e.g. SublimeText, Atom, VSCode).

Keyboard Maestro Editor for Google Chrome macro

Solution 1: Manually edit Preferences

NOTE: You may have to repeat the procedure (from step 4) every time you edit shortcuts or restart Chrome.

NOTE2: Apparently this doens’t work anymore in latest Chrome versions

  1. Install an extension:
  2. Go to the chrome extensions and scroll down to the Keyboard shortcuts
  3. Enter a keyboard shortcut (e.g. Alt+Q for Toggle Tabs)
  4. Quit Google Chrome
  5. Open Chrome preferences file:
    • Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/Preferences
    • Windows: C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Preferences
    • Ubuntu: ~/.config/chromium/Default/Preferences
  6. Search for the previously set keyboard shortcut inside the file, e.g. Alt+Q and replace it with Ctrl+Tab.
  7. Save and close the file
  8. Reopen Chrome, open few tabs, and then test the shortcut
  9. Profit!

This solution is based on this superuser answer.

Solution 2: Intercepting and replacing shortcut commands (macOS only)

This solution is based on Keyboard Maestro which has a 30-day trial, then you’ll have to pay for it

  1. Install an extension:
  2. Go to the chrome extensions and scroll down to the Keyboard shortcuts
  3. Enter a keyboard shortcut (e.g. Alt+Q for Toggle Tabs)
  4. Download and install Keyboard Maestro
    • Remove (or disable) all existing Macros
  5. Create a new macro for Google Chrome:
    1. Install this macro or do it manually:
    2. Create new Group
    3. Set it to be available only in Google Chrome application
    4. Create new Macro
    5. Set it to be triggered when Ctrl+Tab hot key is down
    6. Set it to simulate the Alt+Q keystroke (or whichever stroke you set up in Chrome extension)
  6. Enable the macro
  7. Profit!