| Method | What it does |
|---|---|
driver.close() | Closes the current/active browser window only |
driver.quit() | Closes all browser windows and ends the entire WebDriver session |
driver.close():
Java
driver.close();
// Only closes the currently focused window
// If this was the last window, session ends but driver object remains
driver.quit():
Java
driver.quit();
// Closes all windows (main + all popups/tabs) and kills the driver process
Example with multiple windows:
Java
String mainHandle = driver.getWindowHandle();
driver.switchTo().window(popupHandle);
driver.close(); // Only closes popup
driver.switchTo().window(mainHandle); // Main window is still open
// At end of test:
driver.quit(); // Closes everything
When to use:
- ✓Use
driver.close()in the middle of a test when closing a specific window/tab - ✓Use
driver.quit()in@AfterMethodor teardown — always prefer quit() to fully clean up
Best practice: Always call
driver.quit()in afinallyblock or@AfterMethodto prevent browser processes from lingering in memory.