Miss pressing the backspace key to go back on Google Chrome? Bring it back with this extension

Google Chrome is constantly changing, sometimes for the good, other times for the bad. Some changes are small, others large, but even the smallest, seemingly meaningless change can make a big difference in how we use the browser. That was the case recently when Google disabled the shortcut to go back in Chrome by pressing the backspace key.

This change was made to help people avoid losing their work online by mistake by pressing the button at the wrong time, but thanks to plenty of user feedback, Google has brought back that functionality. To make this completely optional, Chrome will still disable this feature by default and rather allow users to bring it back by installing the “Go Back With Backspace” Chrome extension.

You may have noticed that we recently removed the shortcut to go back in Chrome using the Backspace key. This helps save people from accidentally losing their work online, which is never fun. For those who miss it, we hear you loud and clear, and have launched a Chrome Extension to bring it back.

After installing this extension through the Chrome Web Store, the functionality will immediately be restored. It works just like it did back before Chrome v52, but there are certain limitations due to the nature of how Chrome handles extension. For example, certain pages such as the settings menu won’t work with this extension.

This is a pretty simple change, but it’s great to see Google listening to user feedback and doing something about it. If you miss this shortcut just like I did, then head over to the Chrome Web Store and check it out for yourself!