Tab Numbers 1–9

About

Tab Numbers ➀–➈ — See the first nine tab numbers at a glance

Jump between tabs faster and with fewer mistakes. This extension adds a bold, high‑contrast dingbat number (➀–➈) to the beginning of the first nine tab titles in each window—perfectly matching the built‑in shortcuts Ctrl/Cmd + 1–9. No clutter, no distractions—just the number you need, right where your eyes look.

Why you’ll love it

• Instant orientation. Know which tab is “tab 3” or “tab 7” without counting from the left.
• Made for shortcuts. Numbers map to the browser’s native tab switching (Ctrl/Cmd + 1–9).
• Big and legible. Uses Unicode dingbats (➀–➈) that are larger and easier to see than superscripts.
• Automatic and lightweight. Updates whenever tabs are opened, moved, or closed—no manual refresh needed.
• Toggle anytime. Press Alt+N to show/hide numbers (customizable in Chrome’s keyboard shortcuts).
• Per‑window awareness. Applies to the first nine tabs in each normal window, just like the keyboard shortcuts.

How it works (under the hood)

A small background service worker listens for tab events (create, move, remove, activate, window focus, etc.). When something changes, it sends the appropriate prefix to a tiny content script in that tab, which adds the digit to the start of the page title. If a site changes its <title>, the extension re-applies the correct number automatically so the marker stays consistent.

Important: This extension only modifies the tab title. It does not access page content beyond the document title and does not send any data anywhere.

Permissions & privacy

Requested permissions
• tabs – Needed to know tab order and update the right tab.
• host permissions: <all_urls> – Required for the content script to add the number to the page’s title.

Privacy
• No sign‑in, no analytics, no ads, no tracking.
• No data collection or sharing. Nothing is sent to external servers—everything runs locally in your browser.
• The extension modifies only the tab title to display ➀–➈ and does nothing else to page content.

Keyboard shortcuts

• Windows/Linux: Ctrl + 1–9 to jump to tab 1–9; Alt+N toggles the numbers on/off.
• macOS: Cmd + 1–9 to jump to tab 1–9; Alt+N toggles the numbers on/off.
You can change Alt+N via chrome://extensions/shortcuts.

Known limitations

• Restricted pages: Chrome doesn’t allow extensions to modify some pages (e.g., chrome://* and the Chrome Web Store). Those tabs won’t show numbers.
• Pinned tabs: Chrome hides titles for pinned tabs, so you may not see a number even though the tab is counted in the order.
• Incognito: To use in incognito, enable “Allow in incognito” on the extension’s details page.
• Tab 10 and beyond: Chrome’s built‑in shortcuts cover only 1–9 (9 goes to the last tab). This extension mirrors that design.

Troubleshooting

• “I don’t see any numbers.”
– Make sure the extension is enabled.
– Try toggling with Alt+N.
– If on a restricted page (chrome:// or Web Store), try another website.
– If you just installed, reload a couple of tabs to trigger the first refresh.

• “The number disappeared after the site changed the title.”
– The extension re-applies automatically. If a site is very aggressive about changing titles, a brief delay may occur; the number should reappear momentarily.

• “Another extension also edits titles.”
– If numbers don’t appear or look duplicated, check for other title‑editing extensions and adjust their settings or disable one of them.

Lightweight by design

• Event-driven: The background service worker sleeps when idle, waking only for tab/window events.
• Tiny footprint: Minimal code with a narrow, well‑scoped purpose.
• No network access: Works fully offline; never contacts external servers.

What’s included

• Dingbat numerals ➀–➈ prefixed to tab titles 1–9 in each window.
• Automatic updates on tab create/move/remove/activate and window focus changes.
• Title‑change resilience via a small MutationObserver.
• Toggle via Alt+N (configurable).
• Toolbar click to trigger a quick refresh (optional convenience).

FAQ

Q: Why use dingbats (➀–➈) instead of superscripts (¹–⁹)?
A: Dingbats are larger and typically render with clearer shapes in tab bars, making them easier to spot in a hurry—especially on smaller laptop screens.

Q: Does this slow down my browser?
A: No. It’s event-driven and only touches the tab title string. There’s no heavy DOM work or network activity.

Q: Will it reorder or renumber tabs automatically when I drag them around?
A: Yes. As soon as a tab’s position changes, the numbers are recalculated and refreshed.

Q: Can I change the keybinding?
A: Yes—go to chrome://extensions/shortcuts and set any shortcut you like for “Toggle tab numbers.”

Changelog

1.0.0
• Initial release with Unicode dingbat numerals ➀–➈
• Automatic updates on tab and window events
• Title‑change resilience
• Alt+N toggle