I have been using Google Chrome as my primary web browser for several years now. Recently, I made a switch back to Chrome after using Yandex Browser for a while. One of the things that I have noticed since my return to Chrome is a change in the behavior of the back button when navigating between search result pages. In this article, I will discuss my experience with this issue and provide some context and potential solutions.
Preamble: Experience using Chrome versus Yandex Browser
I have been using Google Chrome for many years, but in the last two years, I tried using Yandex Browser as my primary browser. While there were some features that I appreciated about Yandex Browser, I ultimately decided to return to Chrome due to various reasons. However, one thing that stood out to me during my time using Yandex Browser was the behavior of the back button when navigating between search result pages.
Problem Description
When using Yandex Browser, the back button would take me back to the previous search query, displaying the corresponding search results. This behavior was useful when I wanted to quickly compare results from different queries. However, when I returned to Chrome, the back button would only take me back to the previous webpage I visited, not the previous search query and its results.
Understanding the Issue
To understand the issue, it's essential to know how search engines and web browsers handle the back button. When you perform a search query in a search engine like Google or Yandex, the engine returns a list of search results, each linking to a webpage. When you click on a search result, your web browser loads the linked page. If you then use the back button, your browser goes back to the previous page you visited, which is not the search result page but the page you clicked on from the search results.
Google's Approach to the Back Button
Google Chrome's approach to the back button is different from that of Yandex Browser. When you navigate from a search result page to a webpage and then use the back button, Chrome does not take you back to the search result page. Instead, it takes you back to the page you visited before the search query, effectively losing the context of the search results.
Potential Solutions
If you prefer the behavior of Yandex Browser's back button and want to use it in Google Chrome, there are a few potential solutions:
Use the "Back to Search" Extension
One solution is to use the "Back to Search" extension for Google Chrome. This extension modifies the browser's back button behavior to take you back to the search result page when you use the back button, just like in Yandex Browser.
Use the Keyboard Shortcut Ctrl+Alt+Left Arrow
Another solution is to use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Alt+Left Arrow to go back to the previous search query and its results. This shortcut works in Google Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers like Edge and Brave.
Use the Search Engine's "Previous Query" Feature
Many search engines, including Google and Yandex, have a "Previous Query" feature that allows you to quickly access the previous search query. To access this feature, click on the "Search" dropdown menu in the search engine's address bar and select "Previous query."