A new tab dashboard is a browser extension that replaces the blank or default new tab with your own screen of widgets, links and tools. The one we recommend for anyone who codes, mods games or tinkers with web projects is AyeTab, a free Chrome dashboard built from developer tools that run offline.
What goes on a new tab dashboard
Most dashboards are built from the same handful of parts. You switch on the ones you want and leave the rest off.
- Background: a photo, a gradient or your own picture.
- Clock, date and weather: the basics at a glance.
- Quick links: your most used sites, one click away.
- Lists and timers: a to-do list, notes, a Pomodoro timer.
- Feeds: news or articles picked for you.
- Tools: small utilities you would otherwise open a website for.
The trick is deciding what earns a place. Every item is something your eyes land on dozens of times a day.
The main types, with an example of each
The tool dashboard: AyeTab
AyeTab is built from tools rather than widgets. A list on the left, the active tool on the right: format JSON, decode a JWT, convert YAML, test a regex, compare two texts, convert images, make a favicon or a QR code. Ctrl+K opens a search box for jumping between them, and favorites keep your regulars on top.
It also brings the dashboard staples in a form that stays private: a to-do list, a kanban board, a Pomodoro timer and quick notes, all saved in your browser, along with your wallpaper and favorites. Nothing you type is uploaded, there is no account, and it works offline once installed. You can also open it in Chrome's side panel next to whatever page you are on, or use the same tools on the web.
The focus dashboard: Momentum
Momentum pairs a daily photo and quote with weather, a to-do list and a goal for the day. It has a free plan and a paid Plus plan at $39.95 a year, billed annually, for its extra focus and planning features.
The calm dashboard: Bonjourr
Bonjourr is open source and deliberately minimal: a photo that changes with the time of day, a clock, and extras such as quick links, notes and a Pomodoro timer only if you want them. It needs no account.
The widget dashboard: Tabliss
Tabliss is a free, open source page with lots of widgets, from weather and clocks to quotes and quick links, and backgrounds from Unsplash and GIPHY.
The feed dashboard: daily.dev
daily.dev turns the new tab into a news feed of developer articles. Free and open source.
Which type fits you
| If your new tab is mostly for | Pick | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Quick dev jobs, kept private | AyeTab | Free |
| A daily goal and to-dos | Momentum | Free plan, paid Plus |
| A calm, pretty screen | Bonjourr | Free |
| Lots of widgets | Tabliss | Free |
| Reading developer news | daily.dev | Free |
If you mainly want a photo and a clock, Bonjourr or Tabliss is lighter than a toolbox. If you ever paste code, data or tokens into random websites, AyeTab is the new tab dashboard that keeps that work on your own machine.
Setting one up
Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store and open a new tab; the dashboard takes over straight away. Chrome names the extension that controls your new tab in the New Tab page footer, and disabling it on chrome://extensions brings the default page back.