What is the "Mute Tab" extension and how does it work?

By default, browsers can mute an entire hostname by right-clicking on a noisy tab and selecting the "Mute Site" option. This action effectively silences all audio from the hostname, including video advertisements and similar media content. Sometimes, users may need to mute a specific tab for a while. This is where the Mute Tab extension becomes useful. Regardless of the tab's hostname, this extension adheres to the user's request and mutes or unmutes the tab accordingly. In cases where numerous tabs and windows are open, making it difficult to locate the noisy ones, the extension offers additional filtering options. These options allow for muting all background tabs, whether they belong to the currently active window or are in the background. This grants users full control over which tabs are allowed to produce sound. For added convenience, it is also possible to assign keyboard shortcuts to each of these actions.

How do I assign a keyboard shortcut to a specific action in the "Mute Tab" extension?

To set a keyboard shortcut for a particular action in the "Mute Tab" extension, follow these steps:

• Open the extension manager window in your browser. On a Chromium browser, you can open "chrome://extensions" in a browser tab.
• Look for the section dedicated to keyboard shortcuts.
• Locate the "Mute Tab" extension within the list of installed extensions.
• Choose whether you want to set a local or global keyboard shortcut for the desired action. Local shortcuts only function when the browser window is in focus, while global shortcuts work even when the browser window is not active.
• Set the keyboard shortcut for the action of interest. This shortcut will trigger the specific action in the "Mute Tab" extension.

In Chrome browser, you can directly access the keyboard shortcuts configuration for extensions by opening a new browser tab and entering chrome://extensions/shortcuts in the address bar. This will allow you to set the shortcuts for the "Mute Tab" extension or any other installed extensions.

What's new in this version?

Please check the Logs section.

What does it mean when an extension has a nonpersistent background page?

When an extension uses a nonpersistent background page, it implies that the script running in the background page is unloaded and released from memory when it is no longer in use. This approach ensures that all allocated resources are freed, resulting in more efficient resource management. Nonpersistent background pages are particularly advantageous for devices with limited memory, as they help optimize performance and prevent unnecessary resource consumption.

Is it possible to use the extension to mute only noisy tabs instead of muting all tabs?

By default, the extension mutes all tabs, regardless of whether they are playing sounds or not. However, if you wish to selectively mute only the noisy tabs while allowing others to play sound notifications when necessary, there is a way to achieve this. You can modify the extension's behavior by pressing the Shift key with the desired command. This will prompt the extension to check each tab for active audio and adjust the muting policy accordingly, muting only those tabs currently playing sound. It's important to note that in version 0.1.3 (or earlier), the behavior was reversed.

Is it possible to use this extension to find and close a tab that is playing sound?

You can use this extension to locate and close the tab causing the sound disturbance. Open the extension's popup and choose one of the commands that begin with the "Close" keyword. These commands are specifically designed to close tabs without any warning. However, please exercise caution and use them only when necessary, as they instantly close the tabs without additional prompts.