How do I move the current split into a new tab and immediately jump back to the previous tab?
Answer
<C-w>TgT
Explanation
When a split temporarily becomes the center of attention, promoting it to its own tab can reduce layout noise. <C-w>TgT gives you a quick pivot pattern: extract the active window to a new tab, then hop back to your prior tab to continue parallel work.
How it works
<C-w>Tmoves the current window into a new tab pagegTjumps to the previous tab page
The first key sequence is structural: it lifts one split out of the current window grid. The second is navigational: it restores your original tab context immediately. Together, this avoids losing orientation while still creating focused space for deeper edits.
Example
Before:
Tab 1 has three splits: test file, implementation, and notes
Run in the notes split:
<C-w>TgT
After:
Notes now live in a dedicated tab, and you are back in Tab 1
Tips
- Use
gtafter this sequence when you want to revisit the extracted tab quickly - This is useful during reviews: isolate a noisy scratch split, then return to the main editing tab without rebuilding window layouts