Each Chrome tab can run its own Auto Refresh Turbo session with a separate interval, schedule, and options.
Ops often need a fast board next to a slow queue and a status page that barely moves. One global timer forces a compromise. Independent sessions keep each URL on the cadence it deserves.
What “independent” means
When you press Start on a tab, the service worker stores a session for that tab id and schedules chrome.alarms for that loop only. A five-second dashboard does not pull your docs tab onto the same clock.
- Different intervals per tab
- Random min–max ranges per tab
- Daily schedule windows per tab
- Hard refresh, stop-after-N, and on-page toggles per tab
Stopping one session leaves the others running.
How to run two (or more) timers
- Open the first page and Start with its interval
- Switch to another normal
http/httpstab - Open the popup again
- Choose a different interval if needed
- Press Start
Use + current and the session list when you need a roster of what is active. The toolbar badge countdown (when enabled) reflects the active tab only — not a sum of all sessions.
Sensible pairings
- Live ops board: 30–60 seconds
- Ticket or queue list: 2–5 minutes
- Vendor status page: 5–15 minutes
- Light keep-alive: 10–15 minutes
Heavier pages deserve longer gaps. Faster is not automatically better, especially with several tabs reloading at once.
Daily windows on some tabs only
Enable schedule on the office board (for example 08:00–19:00) and leave the overnight watch tab without a window. Outside the window, that scheduled session pauses; others keep firing. See daily refresh schedule.
Interaction and suspicious stops stay local
Stop on click/type ends only the tab you touched. Suspicious-page stop evaluates the document in that tab. Your other sessions continue unless they hit their own limits (stop-after-N, schedule pause, or manual Stop).
Performance habits
- Prefer fewer tabs at sub-10-second intervals
- Avoid hard refresh on every tab unless cache truly lies
- Close sessions you no longer need instead of stacking idle loops
Chrome still has to load each document. The extension schedules reloads; it does not make a heavy SPA cheap. If CPU or network spikes after you Start three aggressive loops, lengthen intervals before blaming the OS.
Random ranges on every tab at once can cluster reloads by chance. Stagger fixed intervals when you need calmer peaks.
What will not refresh
Chrome internal pages (chrome://), the Web Store, and similar restricted URLs are outside normal tab reload for extensions. Stick to ordinary websites. If a tab never moves, skim troubleshooting.
Privacy shape
Session snapshots and settings live in local Chrome storage so the worker can restore after restart. There is no vendor cloud sync of your open URLs. Read Privacy and what is stored locally.
Try it
Install Auto Refresh Turbo, then follow Start in about two minutes on the first tab before adding a second.