We’ve all been to the point where we’ve researched something and accidentally gone one URL too far. But if the back button in browsers doesn’t work, you might be stuck trying to crawl through a lengthy browsing history.
To make sure it’s not just a visual glitch, you can use the shortcut “Alt + Left Arrow” to go to the previous tab. But if that doesn’t work, you might need to change some settings (notably, they apply to most browsers since their Settings sections are similar).
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Fix 1 – Clear the Browser Cache if the Back Button in Browsers Doesn’t Work
The cache might store a wrong URL or leftover cookies that keep redirecting you to the current page, making it so you can’t go back in browser tabs. You can remove the entire cache, which will make websites load a bit slower for a while, but it should restore the browser.
Step 1. Go to “Options” or “Settings.”
Step 2. Find the option “Clear browsing data.” For Edge, this is located immediately at the top of “Settings.” For Chrome, you need to go to the “Privacy and security” tab.
Step 3. Select to remove cache, cookies, and browsing history, then confirm your choice.
Fix 2 – Avoid Redirect Links
If you’ve passed through a redirect link, you can’t go back in browser tabs since the previous tab continues to redirect to where you currently are. You’ll need to access the wider history.
Step 1. Right-click on the back button in the browser for the specific tab you want to go back to.
Step 2. Click on the page where you want to go.
If right-clicking the button doesn’t work, click and hold until you get the extended menu.
Fix 3 – Disable Add-Ons or Extensions
If you have recently installed an extension (or one has updated) and have now seen the issue where the back button in browsers doesn’t work, you might need to temporarily remove it.
Step 1. Click on the “More options” button and select “Extensions,” then go to “Manage Extensions.”
Step 2. For each extension, toggle it off on the right side.
Step 3. Restart your browser (you may need to clear the cache, too).
Step 4. See if the problem is fixed. If it is, go back to the Extensions settings and turn on extensions one by one, resetting each time. When you encounter the issue, that’s likely the culprit that you need to report or remove.
Alternatively, you can use Incognito Mode, which loads the browser without extensions. If the back button normally works in that setting, the issue is almost certainly due to a cache item or an add-on.
Fix 4 – Turn Off Graphics Acceleration
While using the GPU to process a part of the workload speeds up the browser, it can lead to odd visual issues or even lag. You can disable the option on most browsers.
Step 1. Go to Settings.
Step 2. Search for “Acceleration” in the search bar. You should get a result called “Use graphics acceleration when available.”
Step 3. Toggle the setting off and restart the browser.
