Session Management - Ora Browser

Ora Browser provides robust session management features to help you restore closed tabs, recover from crashes, and maintain your browsing context.

Tab Restoration

Recover accidentally closed tabs with built-in undo functionality.

Restore Last Closed Tab

Close a Tab

Close any tab using ⌘W or the close button

Restore Immediately

Press ⌘Z to restore the last closed tab

Multiple Undos

Press ⌘Z multiple times to restore multiple closed tabs in reverse order

// From OraCommands.swift:46-49
Button("Restore Last Tab") {
    NotificationCenter.default.post(name: .restoreLastTab, object: NSApp.keyWindow)
}
.keyboardShortcut(KeyboardShortcuts.Tabs.restore.keyboardShortcut)

The restore command uses ⌘Z, leveraging the system’s undo mechanism for intuitive recovery.

Restore Implementation

Tab restoration is powered by SwiftData’s undo manager:

// From TabManager.swift:352-356
func restoreLastTab() {
    guard let undoManager = modelContext.undoManager else { return }
    undoManager.undo() // Reverts the last deletion
    try? modelContext.save() // Persist the undo operation
}

Alternative Restore Method

You can also use the dedicated keyboard shortcut:

// From KeyboardShortcuts.swift:20-25
static let restore = KeyboardShortcutDefinition(
    id: "tabs.restore",
    name: "Restore Tab",
    category: "Tabs",
    defaultChord: KeyChord(keyEquivalent: .init("z"), modifiers: [.command])
)

Or reopen with:

// From KeyboardShortcuts.swift:26-31
static let reopenClosed = KeyboardShortcutDefinition(
    id: "tabs.reopenClosed",
    name: "Reopen Closed Tab",
    category: "Tabs",
    defaultChord: KeyChord(keyEquivalent: .init("t"), modifiers: [.command, .shift])
)

Keyboard Shortcuts

Restore Last Tab

⌘Z - Undo tab closure

Reopen Closed Tab

⌘⇧T - Alternative restore method

Close Tab

⌘W - Close current tab

Close Window

Closes the window if the Settings window is active

Window Management

Manage multiple windows and their sessions.

Close Behavior

// From OraCommands.swift:33-42
Button("Close Window") {
    if let keyWindow = NSApp.keyWindow, keyWindow.title == "Settings" {
        keyWindow.performClose(nil)
    }
}
.keyboardShortcut("w", modifiers: .command)
.disabled({
    guard let keyWindow = NSApp.keyWindow else { return true }
    return keyWindow.title != "Settings"
}())

The close window command intelligently handles different window types, with special handling for the Settings window.

Creating New Windows

Normal Window
Private Window

// From OraCommands.swift:13-14
Button("New Window") { openWindow(id: "normal") }
    .keyboardShortcut(KeyboardShortcuts.Window.new.keyboardShortcut)

Press ⌘N to open a new window with your default settings.

// From OraCommands.swift:16-17
Button("New Private Window") { openWindow(id: "private") }
    .keyboardShortcut(KeyboardShortcuts.Window.newPrivate.keyboardShortcut)

Press ⌘⇧N to open a private browsing window that doesn’t save history.

Tab Lifecycle

Tab Closing

// From OraCommands.swift:29-31
Button("Close Tab") {
    NotificationCenter.default.post(name: .closeActiveTab, object: NSApp.keyWindow)
}
.keyboardShortcut(KeyboardShortcuts.Tabs.close.keyboardShortcut)

When you close a tab:

Tab is marked for deletion in the model context
Undo manager records the deletion operation
UI updates to remove the tab
State is preserved for potential restoration

Tab Activation

When switching tabs, the session state is preserved:

// From TabManager.swift:365-390
func activateTab(_ tab: Tab) {
    // Toggle Picture-in-Picture on tab switch
    togglePiP(tab, activeTab)

    // Activate the tab
    activeTab?.maybeIsActive = false
    activeTab = tab
    activeTab?.maybeIsActive = true
    tab.lastAccessedAt = Date()
    activeContainer = tab.container
    tab.container.lastAccessedAt = Date()

    // Lazy load WebView if not ready
    if !tab.isWebViewReady {
        tab.restoreTransientState(
            historyManager: tab.historyManager ?? HistoryManager(
                modelContainer: modelContainer,
                modelContext: modelContext
            ),
            downloadManager: tab.downloadManager ?? DownloadManager(
                modelContainer: modelContainer,
                modelContext: modelContext
            ),
            tabManager: self,
            isPrivate: tab.isPrivate
        )
    }
}

Session Persistence

Ora Browser automatically saves your session state:

What’s Saved

Open tabs and their URLs
Tab order and organization
Active tab selection
Window positions and sizes
Container assignments for tabs
Pinned tab states

What’s Not Saved (Private Mode)

Browsing history in private windows
Cookies and cache from private sessions
Form data entered in private tabs
Download history from private browsing

Private browsing windows are not restored after the app is closed. This is intentional to maintain privacy.

Lazy Tab Loading

Tabs are loaded on-demand to improve startup performance:

// From TabManager.swift:377-390
// Lazy load WebView if not ready
if !tab.isWebViewReady {
    tab.restoreTransientState(
        historyManager: tab.historyManager ?? HistoryManager(
            modelContainer: modelContainer,
            modelContext: modelContext
        ),
        downloadManager: tab.downloadManager ?? DownloadManager(
            modelContainer: modelContainer,
            modelContext: modelContext
        ),
        tabManager: self,
        isPrivate: tab.isPrivate
    )
}

Benefits

Faster Startup

Only the active tab loads immediately

Lower Memory

Inactive tabs don’t consume memory

Quick Switch

Tabs load instantly when activated

Better Performance

System resources used efficiently

Picture-in-Picture Session

Picture-in-Picture automatically manages media sessions when switching tabs:

// From TabManager.swift:358-363
func togglePiP(_ currentTab: Tab?, _ oldTab: Tab?) {
    if currentTab?.id != oldTab?.id, SettingsStore.shared.autoPiPEnabled {
        currentTab?.webView.evaluateJavaScript("window.__oraTriggerPiP(true)")
        oldTab?.webView.evaluateJavaScript("window.__oraTriggerPiP()")
    }
}

When auto-PiP is enabled, switching away from a tab with playing video automatically opens Picture-in-Picture mode.

Container Sessions

Tabs are organized into containers with independent sessions:

Container Benefits

Isolated Contexts

Each container maintains separate cookies, cache, and session data

Different Search Engines

Set container-specific default search engines

Organized Tabs

Group related tabs by context (Personal, Work, etc.)

Session Restoration

Restore entire container sessions

Container Activation

// From TabManager.swift:374-375
activeContainer = tab.container
tab.container.lastAccessedAt = Date()

When you activate a tab, its container becomes active, providing context-aware behavior.

Best Practices

Preventing Data Loss

Use Tab Pinning

Pin important tabs to prevent accidental closure:

Press ⌘D to pin/unpin a tab
Pinned tabs are preserved across sessions
They appear first in the tab bar

Regular Saves

Ora Browser automatically saves session state:

After each tab operation
When switching windows
Periodically in the background
When quitting the application

Container Organization

Organize tabs into containers for better session management:

Create containers for different projects
Use container-specific settings
Restore entire container contexts

Recovery Strategies

Immediate Recovery
Session Recovery
History Search

For just-closed tabs:

Press ⌘Z immediately
Or use ⌘⇧T to reopen
Multiple undos are supported

Session management is integrated into the command menu:

// From OraCommands.swift:19-21
Button("New Tab") {
    NotificationCenter.default.post(name: .showLauncher, object: NSApp.keyWindow)
}.keyboardShortcut(KeyboardShortcuts.Tabs.new.keyboardShortcut)

Available Commands

Command	Shortcut	Description
New Tab	⌘T	Opens launcher for new tab
Close Tab	⌘W	Closes current tab
Restore Tab	⌘Z	Undoes last tab closure
Reopen Closed	⌘⇧T	Alternative restore
New Window	⌘N	Opens new window
New Private	⌘⇧N	Opens private window

Advanced Session Features

Undo Manager

The session system uses SwiftData’s built-in undo manager:

guard let undoManager = modelContext.undoManager else { return }
undoManager.undo() // Reverts the last deletion
try? modelContext.save() // Persist the undo operation

This provides:

Multiple undo levels for tab closures
Automatic state tracking without manual implementation
Efficient memory usage with system-managed undo stack
Integration with macOS standard undo behavior

Tab State Persistence

Each tab maintains its state even when inactive:

URL and title are always available
Scroll position preserved
Form data retained (except in private mode)
JavaScript state maintained
Media playback position saved

Performance Optimizations

Lazy Loading

Tabs load only when needed, not at startup

Memory Management

Inactive tabs release memory automatically

Smart Restoration

Frequently used tabs load first

Background Sync

Session state syncs without blocking UI

Troubleshooting

Tab Won’t Restore

Ensure you’re pressing ⌘Z shortly after closing
Check if the undo stack has been cleared
Verify the tab wasn’t from a private window
Try using ⌘⇧T as an alternative

Session Not Restored After Restart

Check if you force-quit during a save operation
Verify that the app has write permissions
Look for tabs in History (⌘Y)
Ensure you’re not in private browsing mode

Multiple Tabs Restore Incorrectly

Tabs restore in reverse order of closure
Press ⌘Z multiple times for multiple tabs
Check container assignments for organization
Verify that tab data wasn’t corrupted

While the undo stack is robust, it’s cleared when you quit the application. For long-term session recovery, use the History feature (⌘Y).

Get Started

Core Features

User Guide

Customization

​Tab Restoration

​Restore Last Closed Tab

​Restore Implementation

​Alternative Restore Method

​Keyboard Shortcuts

Restore Last Tab

Reopen Closed Tab

Close Tab

Close Window

​Window Management

​Close Behavior

​Creating New Windows

​Tab Lifecycle

​Tab Closing

​Tab Activation

​Session Persistence

​What’s Saved

​What’s Not Saved (Private Mode)

​Lazy Tab Loading

​Benefits

Faster Startup

Lower Memory

Quick Switch

Better Performance

​Picture-in-Picture Session

​Container Sessions

​Container Benefits

​Container Activation

​Best Practices

​Preventing Data Loss

​Recovery Strategies

​Command Menu Integration

​Available Commands

​Advanced Session Features

​Undo Manager

​Tab State Persistence

​Performance Optimizations

Lazy Loading

Memory Management

Smart Restoration

Background Sync

​Troubleshooting

​Tab Won’t Restore

​Session Not Restored After Restart

​Multiple Tabs Restore Incorrectly

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Tab Restoration

Restore Last Closed Tab

Restore Implementation

Alternative Restore Method

Keyboard Shortcuts

Window Management

Close Behavior

Creating New Windows

Tab Lifecycle

Tab Closing

Tab Activation

Session Persistence

What’s Saved

What’s Not Saved (Private Mode)

Lazy Tab Loading

Benefits

Picture-in-Picture Session

Container Sessions

Container Benefits

Container Activation

Best Practices

Preventing Data Loss

Recovery Strategies

Command Menu Integration

Available Commands

Advanced Session Features

Undo Manager

Tab State Persistence

Performance Optimizations

Troubleshooting

Tab Won’t Restore

Session Not Restored After Restart

Multiple Tabs Restore Incorrectly