In order to reduce the "clutter" in the Chrome tabs context menus, Google has decided to remove the "Close other tabs" option as well as other features because they are not commonly used.

Since 2015, Google Chrome developers have stated that they wanted to remove certain options from the tab right-click context menu in order to reduce clutter and because the same function could be executed using a different method.

These menu options are 'New tab', 'Close other tabs', 'Reopen closed tab', and 'Bookmark all tabs'.

Other Chrome developers, though, felt that nothing should be removed unless usage data was collected to determine how often the features are used.

"I would like to register my opposition to removing this feature without usage data. When it is useful it is very useful."

In reply, the usage data was posted and showed that even though some of these features were very useful to some users, most users did not use them.

"- Duplicate: 23.21%

- Reload: 22.74%

- Pin / Unpin tab: 13.12%

- Close tab: 9.68%

- Reopen closed tab: 8.92%

- New tab: 6.63%

- Close tabs to the right: 6.06%

- Mute tab: 5.38%

- Close other tabs: 2.20%

- Unmute tab: 1.41%

- Bookmark all tabs: 0.64%"

Fast forward to 2019 and in the Chrome 78 Canary build, as shown below, Google has decided to do away with the 'New tab', 'Close other tabs', 'Reopen closed tab', and 'Bookmark all tabs' context-menu options.

New Tab Context-menu

For the "Close other tabs" feature, Google recommends you use Shift+Click or Ctrl+Click on the tabs you want to close and then use alt+W to close them.

Personally, for those users who utilize the "Clother other tabs" feature, this change creates more work rather than an easier to use interface.

H/T Techdows.com