How to hide all browser tabs with one click

Ever wish you could hide all your tabs in Chrome or Firefox with one click?

These add-ons are great for when you're browsing the Internet at work when you're not supposed to (tsk tsk), or just trying to preserve some of your privacy when family or friends are visiting. You can set a password on the Chrome version for restoring the tabs and also set a keybind so you don't have to click the icon on your toolbar. Here's how to turn your Web browser into a tab-hiding magician:

Note: Although both add-ons have similar names, they appear to be created by different authors.

For Chrome:

Step 1: Download and install the Panic Button extension from the Chrome Web Store. After clicking the Add to Chrome, you'll just need to click Install on the next pop-up window.

Step 2: Click the red button with the exclamation mark to hide all of your tabs. Click it again to bring them back!

(Optional) Step 3: Right-click on the extension button, and choose Options.

In this area you can set a specific key for hiding the open tabs, or choose to password-protect them. Finally, you can set up a "safe page" which will load in the place of the tabs you're hiding.

For Firefox:

Step 1: Download and install the Panic Button add-on from the Firefox add-on repository. Make sure to click Install on the pop-up window that appears. After the install, restart Firefox.

Step 2: Click the orange exclamation mark button to save your tabs and close the browser. If you don't see the button, right-click the menubar, choose Customize, and then drag the button next to your other tools.

(Optional) Step 3: If you're not interested in closing the browser every time, you can customize the settings. Open the main menu, go to Add-ons, then click the Options button near Panic Button in the list that loads.

PanicButtonHere you can adjust the behavior of the button (hiding or minimizing), disable the F9 key bind to hide tabs, or change the look of the icon on your toolbar.