Vertical tabs in Edge: a complete guide to getting the most out of them

If you usually have your browser full of open websites, you've probably thought more than once that the classic tabs at the top aren't enough. Microsoft Edge It has been incorporating for some time now the vertical tabs, a different way of organizing what you have open that makes much better use of screen space, especially if you use widescreen monitors.

In the following lines you will find a very complete guide to help you master this function as if you had been using it your whole life. You'll see how to activate them, switch between horizontal and vertical view, hide the title bar, collapse the panel, pin tabs, and more. Tricks extra to work more comfortably without filling the screen with unnecessary elements.

What are Microsoft Edge vertical tabs and why are they worth it?

The traditional tabs are displayed in a horizontal row at the top of the browser. The problem arises when you accumulate many open pages and the titles become illegible.to the point that you only see the site's icon (favicon) and little else, making it difficult to quickly locate what you're looking for or copy all links from open tabs.

The Edge's vertical tabs completely change this approachThey move from that horizontal row to a column on one side of the browser, usually on the left. Having more vertical than horizontal space allows you to see almost the entire name of each tab, which is very useful when working with many pages at once.

This system is quite reminiscent of the tree-shaped eyelashes offered by some alternative browsers, which favor a more vertical and organized structure. Edge doesn't have a complex tree of sub-levels, but it does provide a clear and ordered list of all your tabs, much more readable than the classic top bar.

Furthermore, Microsoft has been refining the feature with There. In recent versions (such as branch 93.0.94 onwards) the ability to hide the title bar was added When you're using vertical tabs, you gain even more usable space for web content, something many users have been requesting for a long time.

All of this makes vertical tabs a particularly interesting option if you work with wide or curved monitors. These screens usually have plenty of space on the sides and not enough vertically.So placing the tabs on a side panel makes a lot of sense to make the most of your desktop.

How to enable vertical tabs in Microsoft Edge

The best of all is that Enabling vertical tabs in Edge is extremely simple.You don't need extensions, to mess with hidden flags, or to do anything complicated: it's a built-in feature of the browser itself, designed to be changed on the fly at any time.

By default, Edge displays your tabs at the top, just like any other modern browser. To switch to vertical view, simply use the specific icon located in the upper left corner of the window., just to the left of the first tab. It usually has the shape of a small rectangle that symbolizes the side panel.

When you click on that icon, all open tabs immediately jump to a column to the left of the content. The change is reversible and does not affect what you have open.: the way they are displayed is simply reorganized, without closing or reloading anything.

If you prefer to use the context menu, you can do that too. Right-click on the top tab bar (where they are displayed horizontally) and select the option equivalent to "Activate vertical tabs" to switch Edge to this mode.

For those who enjoy pulling keyboard shortcutsMicrosoft has added a direct combination: You can switch between vertical and horizontal tabs with CTRL + SHIFT + , (Control + Shift + comma). This combination instantly activates or deactivates the vertical panel, without going through menus.

In some versions or regions, the vertical tab option was rolled out gradually, so it may not have appeared on all computers at first. If you don't see the vertical tabs button in your Edge, you most likely don't have that version yet.So it's a good idea to check for pending updates from the settings menu.

Configure vertical tabs from the appearance menu

Edge also allows you to control the presence of the vertical tabs button from its internal settings. If you want to ensure this feature appears in the interface, you can do so by going into the Settings menu. from the browser.

To do this, open the main menu (the three dots in the upper right corner) and go to “Settings > Appearance”Within this section you will find the toolbar customizer, where you can activate or deactivate different icons.

Among the available options you will see a specific control for the “vertical tabs button”If you slide it to the "on" position, the icon will appear in the top bar, ready to use whenever you want. If you deactivate it, it will disappear from the interface, although the feature will still be available through other shortcuts if Microsoft decides to add them in future versions.

This method is useful if you want Keep the interface clean and only show the buttons you actually use on a daily basis.This way you avoid having icons you don't usually touch, but you can retrieve them at any time by going back to Appearance.

If you don't see any reference to vertical tabs in your Appearance menu, you should check that you are using a current version of Edge. At the time, the function was gradually unfolded.And it's possible that the documentation or screenshots refer to a version higher than the one you have installed.

Using the vertical tab panel: moving, pinning, and organizing

Once activated, all your tabs will be displayed in a side column. Each tab appears as a row with its icon and page titleoccupying significantly more horizontal space than the classic bar. This makes it easier to quickly identify each site, even with a long title.

The basic behavior does not change compared to the horizontal view: You can drag a tab up or down to reorder it. within the list, just as you would move it from left to right on the traditional bar. The gesture is the same, only the axis you work on changes.

If you right-click on any of these tabs, the usual Edge context menu will open. From there You can pin tabs, close them, mute a page, duplicate it, or move it to another window, just like you would in landscape mode.

The anchoring option is especially interesting here. When you pin a tab in the vertical view, it is placed at the top of the list., separated from the rest. It's similar to what happens in the classic bar (where they are grouped on the left), but adapted to the new column format.

This is convenient for always having websites you constantly consult at hand: your email, a work tool, a tab with an important document, and so on. Since they are fixed at the very top, the anchored tabs will not get lost among the rest.even if you open dozens of new pages during the session.

Of course, you can close tabs from the side panel using the cross button that appears on each one, or using the context menu. There are no differences in this respect with respect to the horizontal bar.beyond the way they are presented visually.

Hide and show the tab sidebar

One of the great advantages of the Edge system is that You are not required to always have the entire vertical tab panel visible.You can display it at normal size, collapse it so that only the icons are visible, or even temporarily hide it if you prefer.

When the panel is unfolded, you will see at the top an icon shaped like an arrow pointing to the leftClicking that arrow collapses the panel into a narrow strip on the side of the window, displaying only the favicons for each tab, without the text.

In this compressed state, the panel occupies very little horizontal space, leaving almost the entire width of the window free for web content. To see the tab titles again, simply hover your mouse over that narrow bar.It will automatically expand temporarily so you can browse or switch tabs.

As the panel expands when you hover over it, you'll also see a pushpin or pin icon at the top. If you press that pin, you'll pin the open panel again., leaving the tab column permanently visible again until you manually collapse it.

If you want to switch between vertical and horizontal tabs as such (not just collapse the panel), you have to use the [command/method] again. vertical tab icon in the top left or the key combination CTRL + SHIFT + ,This will cause Edge to restore the traditional bar at the top or return to the side view, depending on the current state.

Quickly activate and deactivate vertical tabs

Some users prefer to have vertical tabs only at certain times, for example when working with many websites at the same time, and then return to the traditional bar for more relaxed browsing. Edge allows that type of hybrid use without any problems.

If you're in the horizontal bar view and want to switch to the vertical view, remember that you can do it in several ways: Click the button in the upper left corner, right-click on the tab bar and choose “Enable Vertical Tabs”, or the aforementioned key combination.

Once you're in vertical view, the same paths work in reverse. You can press CTRL + SHIFT + again to return to the horizontal bar., or use the context menu on the horizontal or vertical tab panel to disable the feature.

This system is especially flexible if you share the computer with other people. Each user can activate or deactivate vertical tabs as they wish in a matter of seconds.without having to change profiles or touch advanced settings.

Keep in mind that, although the appearance may change, your eyelashes remain the same. No information is lost and no websites are closed when switching between modes.Therefore, you can alternate without fear and without worrying about possible side effects.

Hide and show the title bar with vertical tabs

One of the most striking new features that Microsoft has been introducing in Edge has to do with the title bar. When you work with vertical tabs, the browser can do without that top bar altogether., integrating window controls and tabs into a single area to save space.

This means you can have a very compact browser, with the tab column on the left and the content right next to it, without an extra strip at the top taking up pixels. If you work on a laptop or a monitor with a short vertical height, this is greatly appreciated. to have those extra centimeters available to display more content on screen.

To control this option, place the pointer over the vertical tab panel and right clickIn the menu that appears, you will see the options "Hide title bar" or "Show title bar", depending on how you currently have it set.

Clicking on “Hide title bar” rearranges the top of the window to integrate the minimize, maximize, and close buttons directly into the vertical tab area and address bar. If at any point you miss the classic title bar, simply repeat the process and select “Show title bar” to return to traditional behavior.

This feature was one of the reasons why many users started taking vertical tabs seriously. Combining a side panel and removing the title bar results in a much more efficient design., without giving up having full control over tabs and windows.

Collapse and dock the vertical tab panel

We've already mentioned that the tab panel can be collapsed into a simple column of icons, but it's worth dwelling on this part because it has quite an impact on the daily experience. The key lies in the "Collapse panel" control and the "Anchor panel" option..

When you have the vertical tabs fully open, at the top of the panel you will see the text or button that allows you to collapse it (in addition to the arrow mentioned earlier, in some versions). Clicking on “Collapse panel” reduces the column width to a minimum.leaving only the page favicons.

From that moment on, every time you hover your mouse over that narrow area, Edge will temporarily display the full list of tabs, with their titles and options. It's a very convenient way to gain space without sacrificing having your lashes always at hand., ideal for working in portable or when you need to focus on the content.

If you prefer that the column always remains visible, simply use the option to “Anchor panel”It usually appears at the top when the panel is in expanded mode. When you pin it, the panel will remain fixed and will not automatically retract until you tell it to.

This interplay between contracting and anchoring allows you to adapt Edge to every situation. During periods of intense work, you can keep the panel anchored. to quickly view all open pages, and during reading or writing phases you can collapse it so that it doesn't take up space or visually distract.