This New Chrome Extension Ensures Only One Tab Plays Audio

Those of us who keep multiple tabs open should not be punished for our erratic internet behavior, but that’s what it feels like when audio starts blaring from more than one tab at the same time, creating a cacophony. It’s a nuisance that’s easy to fix — it only takes a few seconds to figure out where the sound is coming from and consequently close the tab — but as you know, we’re all about saving time when we can these days. Luckily, there’s a new Google Chrome extension called Smart Tab Mute that makes complaining about this obsolete.

When you open a new tab that needs audio, Smart Tab Mute will mute any other tab playing audio. If you were to then pause the audio in the more recently opened window, the other tab that was automatically muted will start playing again. No more jumping back and forth between tabs or frantically searching for the source of unwanted audio. Just add Smart Tab Mute to your Google Chrome browser and you’ll be free to open as many tabs with audio as you want.

Getting bombarded by audio from multiple open tabs may not seem like a big deal — because it isn’t. But considering our expectations for convenience — especially when it comes to the internet and its related technologies—the definition of “big deal” has evolved to include minor annoyances. Smart Tab Mute perfectly encapsulates the spirit of browser updates: isolate a problem that everyone experiences but no one realizes is bothersome until it’s brought to their attention, and then fix it. It’s only a matter of time before we’re made aware of another universal internet inconvenience, but for now, remedy all-angle audio attacks with Smart Tab Mute.