Notion-level productivity in every new tab.
NewTab is a Chrome extension that replaces your browser's new tab page with a full-featured productivity workspace. Instead of a blank page or a search bar, every new tab opens your personal workspace — notes, tasks, boards, journals, and more — all instantly accessible, all stored locally on your machine.
Every time you open a new tab, you have a moment of intent. Most new tab extensions waste that moment with weather widgets or news feeds. NewTab puts your actual work front and center.
- Your notes are always one tab away. No switching apps, no loading screens, no login walls. Open a tab, start writing.
- It's as powerful as Notion, but lives in your browser. Rich text editing with markdown shortcuts, nested pages, slash commands, code blocks, tables, and more — the full editing experience you'd expect from a dedicated app.
- Your data stays on your device. No accounts, no cloud sync, no servers. Everything is stored locally in your browser. Your notes are yours.
- It loads instantly. Under 500ms to interactive. It opens on every new tab — sluggishness is unacceptable.
A block-based rich text editor that feels like Notion. Write with markdown shortcuts that convert instantly, insert any block type with the / slash menu, format text with a floating toolbar, drag blocks to reorder, and embed code, tables, and images — all auto-saving as you type.
Nest any note inside another note to any depth. Navigate your page hierarchy from a collapsible sidebar tree. Drag and drop pages to reorganize. Rename and delete from the sidebar.
A dedicated todo panel lives on your new tab page — always visible, always ready. For bigger projects, switch to a kanban board view with customizable columns and drag-and-drop cards.
- Pomodoro timer — work/break intervals with session tracking
- Habit tracker — daily checkboxes with streak counts
- Daily journal — auto-created dated entries with reflection prompts
- Motivational quotes — rotating daily from a built-in library
A freeform drawing canvas for sketches, diagrams, and visual thinking. Loads lazily so it never slows down your new tab.
NewTab is under active development. Here's where things stand:
| Feature | Status |
|---|---|
| Foundation & dark theme | Done |
| Rich text editor | Done |
| Pages & navigation | Done |
| Todo & kanban | In progress |
| Productivity widgets | Planned |
| UX polish & search | Planned |
- download newtab-extension.zip
- unzip
- Open
chrome://extensionsin Chrome - Enable Developer mode (top right)
- Click Load unpacked and select the unzipped folder
- Open a new tab — NewTab should appear
- Clone the repo
- Install dependencies:
npm install - Start the dev server:
npm run dev - Open
chrome://extensionsin Chrome - Enable Developer mode (top right)
- Click Load unpacked and select the
.output/chrome-mv3-devfolder - Open a new tab — NewTab should appear
npm run build
The built extension will be in .output/chrome-mv3. You can also create a zip for distribution:
npm run zip
- Note-takers who want Notion-quality editing without leaving their browser
- Developers who live in their browser and want quick access to code snippets, todos, and notes
- Students who want a distraction-free workspace that's always one tab away
- Anyone who opens dozens of tabs a day and wants each one to start with purpose
- Notes first. The editor is front and center. Everything else supports the writing experience.
- Local only. No accounts, no cloud, no tracking. Your data never leaves your machine.
- Dark by default. A warm dark theme that's easy on the eyes during long sessions.
- Instant. Under 500ms to interactive. A new tab replacement that feels slower than the default is dead on arrival.
- Keyboard-driven. Markdown shortcuts, slash commands,
Cmd+Kcommand palette — power users should never need the mouse.
MIT