Zen Unload Tab

Extension for Zen Browser (based on Firefox) that allows you to force unload the current tab using a keyboard shortcut.

Features

• Default shortcut: Shift+Cmd+S (macOS) or Shift+Ctrl+S (Windows/Linux)
• Smart toggle:
  • If tab is loaded → unloads the tab, freeing memory
  • If tab is unloaded → reloads the tab
• Visual unload page: When a tab is unloaded, shows a beautiful page indicating it's unloaded
• Automatic reload: Click on the unloaded tab or use the shortcut again to reload
• Works only with tabs that can be discarded

Installation

Development Mode (Temporary)

1. Open Zen Browser
2. Navigate to about:debugging
3. Click "This Firefox" (or equivalent)
4. Click "Load Temporary Add-on..."
5. Select the manifest.json file from this extension
   • Note: If you haven't created icons yet, you can use manifest-no-icons.json temporarily

Permanent Mode (Packaged)

1. Package the extension:

   ./build.sh

   Or manually:

   zip -r zen-unload-tab.zip manifest.json background.js unloaded.html unloaded.js README.md icons/

2. In Zen Browser, go to about:addons

3. Click the gear icon and select "Install Add-on From File..."

4. Select the zen-unload-tab-*.zip file

Shortcut Customization

The shortcut can be customized:

1. Go to about:addons
2. Find "Zen Unload Tab"
3. Click "..." → "Manage Extension Shortcuts"
4. Configure the desired shortcut for the "unload-tab" command

The default shortcut Shift+Cmd+S avoids conflicts with the default "Save" shortcut (Cmd+S).

Technical Notes

• Uses Firefox/WebExtensions tabs.discard() API
• Only tabs with autoDiscardable: true can be discarded
• Original URL is saved in browser.storage.local when tab is unloaded
• When an unloaded tab is activated, shows a custom HTML page (unloaded.html)
• Tab only reloads when you click on it or use the shortcut again
• Original tab title is preserved in the tab bar

Development

This extension is compatible with:

• Zen Browser
• Firefox (all versions that support WebExtensions)

License

MIT