Google Chrome Finally Adds Vertical Tabs – Here’s Why You’ll Love Them
If you’re someone who regularly juggles dozens of open browser tabs, you’ll be pleased to hear that Google is rolling out vertical tabs for Chrome, the world’s most popular internet browser. This feature has been available in Microsoft Edge for years, making tab management and multitasking significantly easier. In fact, vertical tabs are so useful that they might even tempt some users to switch away from Chrome. The feature works beautifully with tab grouping, allowing you to bundle related tabs into a single group that you can collapse when they’re not needed.
How to Enable Vertical Tabs in Chrome
To turn on vertical tabs, simply right-click anywhere on the Chrome window or the tab bar and select “Show Tabs Vertically.” If the option isn’t available yet, don’t worry – the feature is rolling out gradually to macOS, Windows, and Linux. You may need to wait for the Chrome 147 update to reach your device. Once enabled, a button at the top of the interface lets you minimize the vertical tab panel that sits on the left side of the browser, giving you more screen space for the website you’re viewing.
What Else Is New? An Improved Reading Mode
The latest update also introduces a full-screen Reading Mode in Chrome. This feature strips away visual elements like images and videos, leaving a clean, text-only view that’s easier to focus on when reading content that requires your full attention. Reading Mode already existed in Chrome, but previously it only worked within the side panel.
Why Vertical Tabs Are a Game Changer
For years, browsers have all looked pretty much the same: a web address bar at the top, with horizontal tabs lined up next to it. While having multiple tabs is great for accessing information quickly – like comparing hotels or choosing a product color – there’s a major downside. The more tabs you open, the smaller they get, and it becomes nearly impossible to tell which tab is which.
Vertical tabs solve this problem beautifully. When enabled, all your tabs line up neatly on the left side of the screen, each staying the same size. You can see every website’s title and favicon clearly because they’re no longer fighting for horizontal space. This makes it much easier to find a tab you opened earlier in the week. The feature really shines when you group tabs – each group appears as a nested list, keeping everything organized and easy to browse.
Perfect for Laptops and Small Screens
Vertical tabs are especially valuable on laptops with smaller displays where screen real estate is limited. You can run multiple apps side by side, including Chrome, and still keep all your tabs visible while maximizing the space dedicated to the website you’re actually using.
