Chrome and Tab Groups: Where the heck am I?

Task Context Switching 

If you're like me (and why wouldn't you be? come on!) you've got a lot of tabs open in Google Chrome. Like, an unsettling amount - enough to make your memory paging system go "Hol' up". 

I like to organize my browser so I have separate Chrome windows that represent a task context. 

For example, currently I have separate Chrome windows dedicated to: 

1. A code change associated with a work ticket around some performance improvements. I have a spreadsheet on there for tracking timing changes, a few tabs for some associated research, and a few tabs for watching our metrics system.
2. Articles I want to read unassociated with any active work tickets. I park "this looks interesting and I want to get to it soon™" articles there.
3. A presentation that I'm working on, with a tab for the actual presentation and another tab for some survey results from anonymous questions I'm asking.
4. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera

This system works well for me, but it can provide some tough context switches, when I go from Task A to Task B, I have to hunt through my current 11 (yes 11!) Chrome windows to find the right context, so I can work on my task.

what follows is an ACTUAL screen shot. Feel my pain.

Context switching means looking at each window in turn, and trying to figure out what task context that window is dedicated to by tab titles. Easy to do once, but omg, try doing it dozens of times a day.

I want to make this process easier, so context switches require less effort.

All Hail Chrome Tab Groups

Chrome Tab Groups are a relatively new feature where you can take one or more tabs and associate them with a label. It's pretty easy to use, with a right mouse click and a little bit of typing. The linked blog is the best introduction and guide.

When I create a new Chrome window with a set of tabs, I will associate the leftmost tab with a Tab Group and give it a short name so I understand the context quickly.

For instance:

You probably don't know what wi2524860 (dms load means, but I do. When I want to work on that task, I can quickly loop through my Chrome windows, and, by keeping my eye on the upper left corner, find the right window to bring into focus.

Bonus Points

Windows 7 introduced a great application shortcut key feature, where the Windows Logo key + a number will switch to that number program pinned to the taskbar. 

If you're like me and have Chrome pinned as task 1, you can hold down the Windows Logo key and repeatedly press 1 to cycle through your windows, looking for the correct task using the tab group label.

Anybody that's been in a meeting with me (may the Lord have mercy on your soul), has probably noticed me doing this at the beginning of a meeting, where I will say "no, no, no, no, yes" as I find the right window. I'm sorry you had to listen to that, but here we are.

Conclusion

Anyway, it's a minor efficiency thing, but whatever we can do to save those precious, precious seconds. Thanks.