How to Auto Refresh Chrome Tabs Without an Extension

Suppose you want to automatically refresh your Google Chrome tabs. In that case, you can install a browser extension to get the job done. You can then set custom time intervals to reload your tabs. Many users choose to refresh web pages automatically to remain logged in. But what if you don’t want to install a third-party extension to reload your tabs? Let’s explore the alternatives.

How to Auto-Refresh Chrome Tabs Without Downloading Anything

You can use a special script to instruct Chrome to reload tabs from time to time. You can run the script either as a bookmark or inject it straight into the browser console. You’ll need to always keep the bookmark or browser console tab open for this method to work.

Method 1: Use Tab A to Control Tab B

Open a new tab, and press Ctrl, Shift, and I to open the Chrome console. Then enter the following script:

win1 = window.open("https://www.yourpage.com");
timer1 = setInterval(function(){win1.location.href="https://www.yourpage.com"},10*60*1000);

Basically, win1 is a Javascript variable for Tab B. The setInterval function calls the win1 variable (Tab B) to reload every 10 minutes.

Keep both tabs open for this method to work. If you want to end the auto-refresh script, simply close your tabs. You can use the script above to control multiple tabs. Of course, you’ll need to tweak the script a bit and add multiple win variables, and setInterval functions.

There are two main advantages to using this script: you can reload a web page you have absolutely no control over. The script won’t disappear when the second tab is refreshed.

Method 2: Run the Auto-Refresh Script as a Bookmark

Launch a new tab and paste the script below into your address bar:

javascript:document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0].innerHTML =
"<iframe id=\"testFrame\"
src=\"" + window.location.toString() + "\"
style=\"position: absolute; top:0; left:0; right:0; bottom:0; width:100%; height:100%;\">
<\/iframe>";
reloadTimer = setInterval(
function(){
document.getElementById("testFrame").src=document.getElementById("testFrame").src
},
10000
)

Then save the script as a new bookmark. By entering the script as a bookmark, you force the browser to keep the JavaScript prefix which it would otherwise remove. Basically, you’re replacing the document body with an iframe. The setInterval function is the trigger that reloads the page according to your time interval settings.

Keep in mind that certain web pages may refuse to display any content once they’ve detected you’re using an iframe.

Method 3: Run the Auto-Refresh Script in the DevTools console

First, load the page you want to refresh. To run the auto-refresh tab script in the DevTools console, you first need to open the console. On Windows, press the Shift, Ctrl, and I keys. On macOS, press Option, Command, and J. Alternatively, you can also click on More options (the three vertical dots), select More tools, and then click on Developer tools.

Then click on the Console tab and enter the script below:

document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0].innerHTML= `<iframe id="testFrame" src=""+window.location.toString()+"" style="position: absolute; top:0; left:0; right:0; bottom:0; width:100%; height:100%;"> </iframe>`; setInterval(()=>{document.getElementById("testFrame").src=document.getElementById("testFrame").src},10000);

Well, suppose you don’t really feel comfortable running these scripts. In that case, you can use a browser extension to automatically reload your tabs from time to time.

Conclusion

To automatically refresh Chrome tabs, you can inject a unique script directly into the browser console. Alternatively, you can save the script as a bookmark. If these methods don’t work, you can use a browser extension that automatically reloads your tabs.

Did you manage to run the scripts above? Let us know in the comments below.