The Great Suspender Chrome add-on was just removed from the Chrome Web store by Google. It was even remotely disabled on the user’s Chrome browsers. That was a little too close to Google. However, given that the extension is suspected of stealing credentials from users’ PCs, this is the proper method. So, if you’re seeking a way to fill the hole, try The Great Suspender alternatives for Google Chrome.
Also read: 8 Best Free and Paid Time Tracking Chrome Extensions.
The Great Suspender Fiasco
Here’s a quick summary of the whole saga before we go on to the Great Suspender alternative. The Great Suspender is a popular open-source Chrome addon, as you may know.
The extension’s owner just sold it to fresh developers in early January 2021. Changes were made to the extension code on GitHub after the acquisition, which was eventually identified as malicious. The new code was said to be attempting to steal passwords and other personal information from users. As a result of all of this, Google had to pull the plug on The Great Suspender and remove it from the Chrome Web Store.
How to Get Back your Tabs?
There’s a simple way to get your tabs back if the extension was uninstalled while they were suspended. Go to the tabs and paste the URL there. Following the original URL of the page, a URI is appended to the end of the URL. Simply copy and paste the last bit of the URL into Chrome’s Omnibox. To restore the suspended page, press Enter.
For example, if the URL below is the suspended tab URL, the URL after it is the restoring URL.
Suspended Tab URL:
chrome-extension://ldonjpbmdhpgepknhjbgflidgcbokalg/suspended.html#ttl=GitHub%20-%20aciidic%2Fthegreatsuspender-notrack%3A%20A%20chrome%20extension%20for%20suspending%20all%20tabs%20to%20free%20up%20memory%2C%20privacy-oriented%20with%20no%20analytics%20tracking.&pos=1700&uri=https://github.com/aciidic/thegreatsuspender-notrackRestoring URL:
https://github.com/aciidic/thegreatsuspender-notrackThe Great Suspender Alternatives
1. The Great Suspender No Tracking
You’re in luck if you want the old “The Great Suspender” back. On GitHub, there are a couple of forks of The Great Suspender extension that have all the malicious code removed. The no tracking forks, on the other hand, aren’t available on the Chrome Web Store, so you’ll have to sideload it. It is, however, fairly simple.
How do sideload Chrome extension?
1. Extract the “zip” file from the GitHub repo for The Great Suspender fork.
2. Now, in the Omnibar, type “chrome:/extensions” to go to the Chrome extensions page. Then, besides “Developer mode,” turn on the toggle.
3. When Developer mode is enabled, an additional menu appears directly below the Omnibar. Select “Load Unpacked” from the drop-down menu.
That is all there is to it. The branch of the Great Suspender has been installed. The extension is not flagged by Google Chrome, therefore you can use it without issue.
Download The Great Suspender Fork
2. Tabby: Suspender Alternatives
Let’s start with Tabby if you’re looking for a suitable suspender alternative. It’s a simple tab suspender add-on for Chrome. When you continue to open new tabs in Chrome, it just suspends and closes the older ones.
Focus, Relax, and Customize are Tabby’s three modes. In a nutshell, these options represent the number of Chrome tabs open. You can only have 5 tabs in Focus, however, you can have 12 tabs in Relax before Tabby starts suspending older tabs. Customize, on the other hand, is the default mode, and it supports up to eight tabs.
You can click on any of the closed tabs in the Tabby Chrome extension window to restore them to their original condition. Apart from that, Tabby doesn’t have a lot of customization options. You can’t use URL exceptions, shortcuts, or suspend a tab manually. It works in the background automatically, which is also great.
Features:
- When you reach the stated limit, older tabs will be automatically suspended.
- Customize the number of tabs that can be opened.
- Maintains tab state, such as scroll location, form data, and so on.
Download Tabby for Google Chrome
3. The Great Discarder
The Great Discarder, like Tabby, is a simple tab suspender plugin. Between Tabby and The Great Discarder, there are two major contrasts. Rather than shutting a tab after a particular number of minutes, The Great Discarder closes any tab that hasn’t been used in an hour.
The Great Discarder, unlike Tabby, does not show a list of closed tabs. Instead, you’d have to restore them from the Chrome history page. Pin it if you don’t want the tabs to be discarded.
Features:
- If you haven’t used it in an hour, it will automatically dismiss the tabs.
- Suspending the tabs manually is an option.
- There is no way to get the discarded tabs back
Download The Great Discarder for Google Chrome
4. Tiny Suspender
Except for one key variation, Tiny Suspender is identical to The Great Discarder. You can utilize Chrome’s native Tab Discard API if you want to. This option now introduces a significant change.
The state of the tab is preserved whenever you suspend it. This implies that when you restore the tab, the scroll position, form data, and so on will be preserved. There are just a handful of Chrome add-ons that can accomplish this. Furthermore, if Chrome crashes or the tab is forced to close, all suspended tabs are safely restored.
Features:
- Tabs can be suspended after a certain length of time has passed.
- Chrome’s native API is used.
- URLs can be added to a whitelist.
Download Tiny Suspender for Google Chrome
5. Auto Tab Discard
Auto Tab Discard is the closest thing to The Great Suspender. If you haven’t used a tab in a certain length of time, Auto Tab Discard will discard it. The time can be adjusted, and the default setting is 600 seconds (10 minutes).
The suspended tab is indicated by a faded website icon with a gray dot and is not minimized. By clicking on the tab, you can restore it. Chrome’s native “Tab Discard” feature is also used by Auto Tab Discard. As a result, the scroll position and form data are preserved, and the sites are restored.
Features:
- After a certain amount of time, the auto tab will be discarded.
- Keeps track of tabs that have been discarded.
- 7 different keyboard shortcuts can be set up.
- Set up URL exceptions to keep your account from being suspended.
Download Auto Tab Discard for Google Chrome
6. Workona Tab Manager
Workona Tab Manager, unlike other extensions, is a more productive version of tab suspenders. And Workona Tab Manager’s goal is to prevent you from opening additional tabs in a single window. As a result, if your tab count exceeds 25, Workona suspends the entire Chrome window rather than just a tab. It even downplays them.
As a result, Workona focuses more on putting all of your critical tabs in one location. This method appeals to me since it pushes you to keep working and play in separate windows. Workona also allows you to manage your bookmarks and create tab groups. It’s more of a bookmark manager than anything else. Workona can also be set up on the new tab page. As a result, you’ll be able to open all of your critical tabs with a single click.
Features:
- When you are not using a window, it is automatically suspended.
- Tab state is preserved, such as form data and scroll position.
- Sort tabs into different workspaces.
- Create your own work and manage your bookmarks
- 6 shortcuts can be added if desired.
Download Workona Tab Manager for Google Chrome
7. OneTab: Suspender Alternatives
OneTab is a great Suspender Alternatives, and it differs from all the previously listed extensions in how it works. If a window appears to be taking up a lot of tabs in One Tab, you can use the OneTab extension to collapse all the tabs into a list. You can restore individual collapsed tabs or all of them at once.
Duster, if you’re using Firefox, is a popular plugin that performs the same thing. OneTab’s straightforward approach appealed to me. With being stated, there is one drawback with OneTab. Chrome’s native tab discard API isn’t used. As a result, the status of the discarded tab is not preserved.
Features:
- All tabs can be collapsed and restored with a single click.
- Tabs for export and import are collapsed.
- Forms cannot be kept in their current state.
Download OneTab for Google Chrome
Closing Words: Great Suspender Alternatives
Auto Tab Discard is a great substitute for The Great Suspender. Tabby is a better alternative if you only have a few uses. Workona Tab Manager is also an excellent choice. What are your reviews? Let me know on Twitter.
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