Tab Guard - Instant Stealth

Hide tabs in one keypress with a custom decoy page, Instant Lock, Auto-Return, and optional Master Lock for restores.

Tab Guard – Instant Stealth is the fastest way to protect your privacy while browsing. With a single keypress you can switch the current tab to a harmless decoy page (e.g., Google) and later restore it as if nothing happened. Whether you need a quick hide at work, school, or in public, Tab Guard gives you peace of mind in a second. Key Features One-Key Tab Hide & Restore: Instantly switch any tab to a decoy and back with Alt+Shift+Q or by clicking the toolbar icon. Custom Decoy Page: Choose any site (Google, Wikipedia, a news site your choice) for maximum discretion. Instant Lock Mode (window-wide): One keypress hides all other tabs in the current window, leaving a single decoy. Press again to restore them all. Auto-Return Timer: Set a timer (e.g., 10 or 30 seconds) to automatically restore your page(s) without lifting a finger. Master Lock (optional) require a password to restore hidden tabs: - Disabling/changing requires the current password. - Minimal prompt: Enter submits, Esc or × cancels. - Password stored locally as a salted SHA-256 hash (never the raw password). - Reset removes the password, turns Master Lock off, and clears any hidden-tabs state. - Single password prompt even on Auto-Return; wrong password? Retry in the same prompt. Lossless Restore for Special Pages: - Instant Lock restores closed tabs using the browser’s sessions API so even chrome:// and chrome-extension:// pages return exactly as they were (original order and pinned state preserved). No extra windows are created. Stealth Notification: - A small, on-page banner confirms stealth mode is active, then fades away. Privacy First - No tracking, no ads, no analytics. - All actions run offline, inside your browser. - Your browsing data and Master Lock password never leave your device. - Passwords are saved locally (not synced between devices). How It Works Install the extension. - Open Options and set your decoy page (default: Google). - Press Alt+Shift+Q (or click the toolbar icon) to activate stealth mode. - Press the hotkey again (or wait for Auto-Return) to restore your tab(s). - Change the hotkey anytime at: chrome://extensions/shortcuts. Permissions & Why Tabs & Scripting: switch to a decoy, restore, and display the small stealth banner. Storage: save your settings and (locally) the Master Lock hash. History (optional): only used if you enable Full History Wipe on activation. Browsing Data (optional): needed solely to perform the history wipe when you turn that setting on. Sessions: precisely restore closed tabs after Instant Lock, including special pages, without opening extra windows. We request only the permissions required for the features you enable. Nothing is uploaded or shared. Notes & Limitations - Works with special pages (e.g., chrome://, Chrome Web Store). These pages don’t allow content scripts, but Tab Guard performs hide/restore via the browser’s session system and shows the Master Lock prompt on the decoy (or the next regular) page. - Master Lock is local and not synced across Chrome profiles/devices. - For Incognito windows, enable the extension for Incognito at chrome://extensions → “Details” → Allow in incognito. - Instant Lock affects the current window only (by design). - Full History Wipe is powerful — use with care. It’s off by default. Why You’ll Love It - Perfect for work, school, libraries, and shared computers. - Gives you instant, predictable control over what’s visible. - Lightweight, fast, and reliable — no clutter, no nags. - Clean, distraction-free design with auto-save settings. - Built with a privacy-first philosophy.