Ever find a cool website on your phone and want to view it later on your PC, but find it frustrating to transfer? You’ll be happy to know that it’s possible to migrate tabs from your Android device or iPhone to your PC.
Let’s explore the different ways to sync your tabs between your phone and computer.
Given that Chrome is available on pretty much every device, syncing tabs is quite easy. You just need to set up the sync first.
If you haven’t done so already, you’ll need to sign in to Chrome on both your PC and your mobile device. It’s a good idea to sign into any device you want to sync your Chrome data with, as Chrome’s sync feature is powerful and works in seconds.
To set up sync on Chrome (using any desktop OS), click the profile icon at the top-right, then click Turn On Sync. If you’re already signed into Chrome, you’ll see your Google account here.
Again, if you see your account here instead, you’re already signed in. The option is in the same place on iOS devices.
Now, when you find something great on your mobile phone, you can quickly open it on your desktop computer. To do this, leave the tab open on your mobile device; it’s okay if you open other tabs in the meantime.
When you’re at your PC, click on the three dots at the top-right of Chrome, then hover over History. At the bottom of the history list, you should see your phone’s name, plus all the tabs open in it. Click on a page to visit it on your PC.
If you want to do the reverse, it’s just as easy. First, open up Chrome for Android (or iPhone) and tap the three dots on the top-right. Then choose Recent Tabs.
At the bottom of the list of recent tabs, you’ll find every tab open on your computer. Just look for your PC’s name on the list.
If you’ve closed the tab on your PC, don’t worry; your history is also synced. Just access History and find the tab there.
Setting up syncing with Firefox is similar to Google’s steps, but uses a different interface. Firefox Sync helps keep your browsing data synchronized, so if you’re an avid Firefox fan, it’s worth turning on.
To start, download Firefox on both your PC and phone. Then, on your computer, click on the profile image at the top-right, followed by Sign in to Firefox.
You can now create a Firefox account, or log into a current account if you already have one.
Once you’re signed in, go to Firefox on Android or iPhone. Click the three dots at the bottom right, then tap Settings.
Tap the Turn On Sync button at the top. You can choose to sign in using your Firefox account, or direct your PC’s browser to the Firefox Pair website and scan the code there.
To see your Firefox tabs on your PC from your mobile, click the three bars at the top-right and hover your mouse over Library.
You’ll see all the tabs on your phone here. Click on a page to open it on your browser.
You should see your PC’s tabs in this section. If you don’t see your tabs, or they’re outdated, swipe down to force a sync and get the new tabs.
If you have an interesting tab on one device and want to access it on the other, it’s easy to do. Whether you’re using Chrome or Firefox, you’re just a sync away from accessing your tabs everywhere.
You can transfer more than just tabs, however. There are also handy ways to move files from Android to PC.