This is still an issue in 55.0.2877.0. I closed out all windows, and attempted to open CVox settings. I was unsuccessful.

The panel is not very useful if there's no tabs. Almost all of the commands and all of the control menus will be non-functional.

I do think we should make an announcement though, so that's pending.

Options page issue is unrelated and an extension api limitation.

The following revision refers to this bug:
  https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src.git/+/c689031affc2246cb94c98a707d5ab7c7b737993

commit c689031affc2246cb94c98a707d5ab7c7b737993
Author: dtseng <dtseng@chromium.org>
Date: Mon Dec 19 23:14:55 2016

Make helpful announcement when there's no focus

BUG=638705
CQ_INCLUDE_TRYBOTS=master.tryserver.chromium.linux:closure_compilation

Review-Url: https://codereview.chromium.org/2585943002
Cr-Commit-Position: refs/heads/master@{#439606}

[modify] https://crrev.com/c689031affc2246cb94c98a707d5ab7c7b737993/chrome/browser/resources/chromeos/chromevox/cvox2/background/command_handler.js
[modify] https://crrev.com/c689031affc2246cb94c98a707d5ab7c7b737993/chrome/browser/resources/chromeos/chromevox/strings/chromevox_strings.grd

The following revision refers to this bug:
  https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src.git/+/66685f193a5fa700d2c4beb53e99ed12dc5ad9cd

commit 66685f193a5fa700d2c4beb53e99ed12dc5ad9cd
Author: dtseng <dtseng@chromium.org>
Date: Tue Jan 10 18:59:57 2017

Revert of Make helpful announcement when there's no focus (patchset #1 id:1 of https://codereview.chromium.org/2585943002/ )

Reason for revert:
Interferes with ARC++; blocked on native ARC++ ChromeVox support.
BUG= 679760 

Original issue's description:
> Make helpful announcement when there's no focus
>
> BUG=638705
> CQ_INCLUDE_TRYBOTS=master.tryserver.chromium.linux:closure_compilation
>
> Committed: https://crrev.com/c689031affc2246cb94c98a707d5ab7c7b737993
> Cr-Commit-Position: refs/heads/master@{#439606}

TBR=dmazzoni@chromium.org
# Not skipping CQ checks because original CL landed more than 1 days ago.
BUG=638705

Review-Url: https://codereview.chromium.org/2626683002
Cr-Commit-Position: refs/heads/master@{#442642}

[modify] https://crrev.com/66685f193a5fa700d2c4beb53e99ed12dc5ad9cd/chrome/browser/resources/chromeos/chromevox/cvox2/background/command_handler.js
[modify] https://crrev.com/66685f193a5fa700d2c4beb53e99ed12dc5ad9cd/chrome/browser/resources/chromeos/chromevox/strings/chromevox_strings.grd