Quick browser tip: Everybody knows middle-clicking links in modern browsers will open the link in a new tab. Reader Landon Roberts points out that the same middle-click works on your forward and back buttons (and more).

Most people know that clicking the middle mouse button on a link will open the link up in a new tab, but this trick also works on the "back" and "forward" buttons in the browser as well.


I verified this on Firefox and Chrome (though on Chrome for Mac it supports Cmd+Click but not middle-click), and it's particularly handy if you click through on something then decide you want the source open in another tab, too. The other nice thing is that both tabs retain the history thread, so you can continue going back in your browser in one tab while you stay on a page in another.

Update: Reader OptionalJoystick points out:

[Middle-clicking] works on the context menu too. Also, Refresh/Reload will duplicate the tab.


[via #tips]