Google is testing a long-requested tab feature in the Chrome browser, revamping how you experience tabs on your computer. This new interface for managing your open tabs comes by way of Chrome Canary version 88, the developer build that may be unstable but it offers an early look at what could be coming to the standard releases soon. As spotted by Windows Report (opens in new tab), the ‘Show tabs on side’ option scaffolds a left-hand sidebar for that which is already open; it heralds one of the browser’s greatest UI shifts in years.
What Chrome Is Testing with Its New Vertical Tabs
In Canary, right-clicking the tab bar will reveal a brand-new command that turns the regular horizontal set of tabs to vertical. In this mode, tabs live in a vertical collapsible sidebar on the left and come with tab search, tab groups, quick creation of new tabs, and a one-click toggle back to the horizontal layout.
The new style of Chrome optimizes for clarity and space efficiency. Vertical tabs show more of each page title in a single view, cutting down on the ‘icon soup’ many users see when they have dozens of tabs open. The sidebar is collapsible to save pixels whenever you need a distraction-free read, but it easily expands back when you want context.
Like any feature in Canary, this is a work in progress and things may change before it hits stable. The timing has not been announced by Google, and the option could be flag- or phase-gated as it does roll out more broadly.
Why Vertical Tabs Matter for Chrome Power Users
For the most hardcore multitaskers, vertical tabs may be a quality-of-life improvement. On more typical 13- to 15-in. laptops, you run out of horizontal space — tab titles are cut off if you open about 8 to 12 tabs; on ultrawide monitors, there’s far more horizontal real estate, but vertical space remains at a premium because you still need plenty of it for the actual page’s content. That sidebar list saves content-optimized titles and enables faster scanning, a design that has been known for ages in interface research (e.g., from groups like Nielsen Norman Group) where vertical navigation scales better the larger an item count grows.
Performance complements matter too. Chrome’s Memory Saver, which Google says can reduce memory usage by as much as 30%, and automatic tab discarding prevent large sessions from slowing down. Combine those under-the-hood tools with a space-smart vertical layout and you’re addressing the daily pain of tab overload, without making users adjust their browsing habits.
How Chrome’s Vertical Tabs Compare to Other Browsers
Chrome is playing catch-up with competitors who have treated vertical tabs like a staple. In 2021, Microsoft Edge got built-in vertical tabs that come with auto-collapse and site icon modes to help clear space. Vivaldi has had powerful vertical tabs and tree-style tabs for years, such as the stacked tab or two-level group view that power users know and love. Firefox users have for a long time used add-ons like Tree Style Tab to get the same functionality.
Chrome’s advantage is reach. Chrome represents about two-thirds of the desktop browser market worldwide, StatCounter estimates. Even with a cautious rollout, millions of people could soon experience vertical tabs without needing to change their browser or add any bits (other than the scroll wheel), potentially moving popular expectations around what default tab behavior should be.
What to Watch Next as Chrome Tests Vertical Tabs
The critical questions now are polish and integration. Does this mean that vertical tabs will support everything, including tab groups with color labels, pinned as well as group pinned tabs, and maybe workspace-style session management? Will the sidebar get fast actions like move, mute, and save tab sets? And how will keyboard navigation and accessibility work for users who use screen readers or shortcuts?
If Google sticks to its regular game plan, you should see incremental updates hit Canary first and gradually fan out to Beta before eventually arriving at Stable. Enterprise admins may see additional controls through Chrome policies prior to the feature rolling out more widely. For now, it’s made available through a Chrome Canary flag so developers and early adopters can test out the new layout and provide feedback, which could influence how the final design looks.
It’s a small change with massive implications: an unobtrusive sidebar that makes sprawling browsing sessions more legible. For the millions of users who habitually have 20, 50, or even a run-amok count of 100 tabs open, Chrome’s test suggests that at long last the browser is adjusting its core UI for how people really work on the web.