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How to open iCloud tabs in Chrome, Firefox on a Mac

Launch iCloud tabs saved from your iOS device in Chrome or Firefox using this free app.

Jason Cipriani Contributing Writer, ZDNet
Jason Cipriani is based out of beautiful Colorado and has been covering mobile technology news and reviewing the latest gadgets for the last six years. His work can also be found on sister site CNET in the How To section, as well as across several more online publications.
Jason Cipriani
2 min read

Screenshot by Josh Parnham

One of the issues with using Safari on an iOS device and using Chrome or Firefox on a Mac is the inability to sync open browser tabs. Safari uses iCloud to keep track of open tabs on all of your Apple devices, but those tabs aren't accessible in third-party browsers. And of course you can't access third-party tabs in Safari. So what's a person supposed to do?

Well, as MacStories points out, a person should download a free OS X app called CloudyTabs.

With CloudyTabs installed, you can now access your iCloud tabs on a Mac and open them in your default browser, directly from the menu bar.

You'll need to download the app from Josh Parnham's GitHub account. Due to how the app accesses your iCloud tabs, Apple won't allow it in the Mac App Store. Don't worry, however, you don't have to hand over any of your iCloud credentials. It reads a local file on your Mac to find your iCloud tabs.

After downloading the app, you will need to unpackage the ZIP file and move it to your Applications folder. Right-click on the app and select open on the prompt to bypass Gatekeeper settings (only if you feel comfortable doing so).

Next, click on the new iCloud icon in your menu bar and wait for it to populate your open tabs. From there, you can click on a listing to open it in your default browser, or Command-click to open it in the background.

CloudyTabs is a convenient way to solve an issue some of us undoubtedly have run into. Download CloudyTabs here.