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WilburSullivan's avatar
WilburSullivan
Copper Contributor
Jan 01, 2022

Designate what window new links are opened in

A lot of people are working in multimonitor environments with many different applications all running at once. When clicking on a link in a non-browser application, the link is automatically opened in the last focused Edge browser window. This can be very inconvenient. It would be nice to be able to designate a given window as the "open all new tabs in this window" window.

 

Let me give you an example of how this might work for me at my office.

 

I've got two monitors and multiple browser windows that are open all the time. One window has a bunch of tabs open to youtube videos I've got lined up to listen to while I work. It's not that odd--many "videos" are not much more than long-form podcasts where the audio is more important than the video. In addition to this window, I have a window in which I'm logged into my work account and another window I'm logged into my personal account. My work window has all my work-related tabs... Sharepoint tabs, Azure DevOps tabs, stuff I will be referring to during work. My personal tab has all the other crap I stumble into during downtime. Lunch and break browsing, random websites that pop up in my RSS reader (usually related to industry subjects, personal interests, etc).

 

In a setup like this, I flip between browser windows often. New PR? Work window. Click a link in a feed? Have to go focus my personal window and go back to click the link so I can keep my work window free of clutter. Oh, got to hit the head, click on the youtube window to pause Jack and Rich voice acting while playing Undertale on their Previously Recorded channel. Back to my desk, got a work email, hey check this link out, click it and I'm in the youtube window. Dang it, close that tab, go find the previous tab I was listening to, go focus the work window, go back and click the email and re-open the link.... back and forth and back and forth and for each link I click I have to think about what browser window had last focus and if it's not the appropriate focus I have to focus the correct one and go back to the link. Oh, I thought the right window had the last focus, but I was wrong? Close tab, go back to the right tab on that window, focus the right window, go back to the link.... it can get kind of aggravating.

 

If I could have a toggle button in the ... menu that says "open all external links in this window" where any links delivered via the operating system rather than clicked in browser are opened in that window would make things much easier. I could designate the personal window as the target to all new links, then all I have to consider is whether or not a link needs to open in my work account's window. If it does, copy the link and paste it into the work window. Or, if I find I'm doing that more, switch the target window.

 

Gives me more control over where my links are going. 

  • Doug_DdC441's avatar
    Doug_DdC441
    Copper Contributor
    BTTT... I would also like to see this implemented. I click on an external link and must go exploring to find the window in which it opened. Edge Beta doesn't even open in the last window used. I think it's opening in the bottom window, but there's no way to check. I do know it will NOT open in the top window.

    Version 111.0.1661.15 (Official build) Beta (arm64)
    macOS 13.2.1
  • miaferraina's avatar
    miaferraina
    Copper Contributor

    WilburSullivan Did you ever find a work-around to this? Whether in Edge or another browser? I have the exact same problem you are describing!

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