How to recover lost OneTab tabs
If your OneTab list suddenly shows empty after a browser update, crash or profile change, don't panic and don't uninstall OneTab: uninstalling deletes its stored data. Work through these steps in order.
1. Make a copy of OneTab's data folder first
OneTab keeps its lists in the extension's local storage inside your Chrome profile, in a folder named after its extension ID (chphlpgkkbolifaimnlloiipkdnihall). Close Chrome and copy this folder somewhere safe before you try anything else:
- Windows:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\chphlpgkkbolifaimnlloiipkdnihall - macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/Local Extension Settings/chphlpgkkbolifaimnlloiipkdnihall - Linux:
~/.config/google-chrome/Default/Local Extension Settings/chphlpgkkbolifaimnlloiipkdnihall
If you use another profile, replace Default with Profile 1, Profile 2, etc. Edge uses Microsoft\Edge\User Data instead of Google\Chrome\User Data.
2. Check you're in the right profile
Updates sometimes open a different Chrome profile. Click your profile picture (top right) and open each profile, then open OneTab in each.
3. Look for URLs inside the data files
The folder contains .log and .ldb files (a LevelDB database). Open copies of them in a text editor such as Notepad++ or VS Code and search for http. Recent lists are often still readable in the .log file even when OneTab shows nothing. Copy the URLs you find into a text file. Results vary: compressed or overwritten data may not be recoverable.
4. Use browser history and other devices
Press Ctrl+H (⌘+Y on Mac) and search for sites you remember. If Chrome Sync is on, check another computer where OneTab might still have the list, and export it right away (OneTab → “Export / Import URLs”).
5. Restore an older copy of the folder
If you have a system backup (Windows File History, macOS Time Machine), restore an older version of the folder from step 1 while Chrome is closed.
How to never lose saved tabs again
- Export your OneTab list regularly to a text file.
- Or use a tab saver with automatic backups. Vigilo Tabs imports OneTab's export, keeps verified versioned backups every 15 minutes and (Pro) writes a daily backup file to your Downloads folder that survives an uninstall.
Vigilo Tabs is not affiliated with OneTab.