Here's How Vertical Tabs Work in Google Chrome, and How to Try it For Yourself

Vertical Tabs in Chrome: How to Enable the New Sidebar Feature Now

If you’ve ever lost track of a dozen browser tabs while juggling work, research, or online shopping, you’re not alone. Google Chrome is finally testing vertical tabs, a long-requested feature that moves your open tabs from the top of the window into a collapsible sidebar. Available now in Chrome Beta, Dev, and Canary builds, vertical tabs promise cleaner organization, faster navigation, and smarter workspace control—especially for power users managing dozens of tabs at once. Here’s how to turn it on and start using it today.

Credit: Google

What Are Vertical Tabs in Chrome?

Vertical tabs reorient your browser interface by shifting the traditional horizontal tab bar to a vertical sidebar on the left side of your screen. Instead of tiny rectangles stacked across the top, each tab appears as a full-height entry showing the site’s favicon, page title, and a close button. You can expand the sidebar to see full labels or collapse it to icons only—ideal for saving screen space without losing context.

This layout isn’t entirely new; browsers like Microsoft Edge and Vivaldi have offered vertical tabs for years. But with Chrome commanding over 60% of the global browser market, its adoption marks a significant shift toward user-centric design for multitaskers, researchers, and professionals who live in their browsers.

Why Vertical Tabs Matter in 2026

In an era where digital workflows span dozens of open tabs—from Slack threads and Google Docs to AI tools and analytics dashboards—horizontal tabs quickly become unusable. A single glance rarely reveals what each tab contains, leading to constant clicking and guesswork.

Vertical tabs solve this by offering richer visual cues and spatial organization. The sidebar format mimics file explorers and messaging apps, aligning with modern UI patterns users already understand. Plus, with built-in tab search and grouping capabilities, Chrome’s implementation goes beyond basic layout changes—it’s a productivity upgrade disguised as a design tweak.

For enterprise users and remote teams relying on cloud-based collaboration, this feature could reduce tab fatigue and improve focus during deep work sessions.

How to Enable Vertical Tabs in Chrome (Step-by-Step)

Ready to try it? Here’s exactly how to activate vertical tabs in Chrome right now:

1. Download Chrome Beta (or Dev/Canary)
   Vertical tabs aren’t in the stable version of Chrome yet. You’ll need at least Chrome version 145, currently available in the Beta channel. Visit Google’s official Chrome channels page and install the Beta version alongside your existing browser—it won’t replace your main Chrome profile.
2. Open Chrome Flags
   In your new Beta browser, type chrome://flags into the address bar and press Enter.
3. Search for “Vertical Tabs”
   In the flags search bar, type vertical-tabs. You’ll see an option labeled “Vertical tabs” with a dropdown menu.
4. Enable the Feature
   Change the setting from “Default” to “Enabled.”
5. Relaunch Chrome
   Click the blue “Relaunch” button at the bottom right to restart the browser with the new feature active.

Once relaunched, you’ll see a new sidebar appear on the left. If it doesn’t show up automatically, look for a double-arrow icon in the top-left corner of the browser window to toggle it open or closed.

Using Vertical Tabs Like a Pro

With vertical tabs enabled, Chrome offers several intuitive controls:

• Collapse or Expand: Click the double-arrow icon at the top of the sidebar to switch between compact (icons only) and expanded (full titles) views.
• Search Your Tabs: Type directly into the sidebar’s search bar to instantly filter open tabs by name or URL—handy when you’ve got 30+ tabs open.
• Create Tab Groups: Right-click any tab in the sidebar to assign it to a color-coded group. Groups stay organized within the vertical panel, making project-based browsing far more manageable.
• Drag and Reorder: Easily rearrange tabs by dragging them up or down the list—no more awkward horizontal shuffling.

The sidebar also respects your system’s dark mode settings, ensuring visual consistency whether you’re working late at night or in a sunlit café.

Platform Support and Limitations

As of January 2026, vertical tabs in Chrome are supported on Windows, macOS, Linux, and ChromeOS. Mobile versions (Android and iOS) don’t support the feature—and likely won’t, given screen real estate constraints on smartphones.

Keep in mind that this is still an experimental feature. While stable in daily use for many testers, occasional glitches may occur, such as sidebar misalignment or sync delays with tab groups. Google hasn’t confirmed a rollout date for the stable channel, but industry observers expect it to arrive in Chrome 146 or 147—likely by spring 2026.

Also, note that enabling flags can sometimes affect browser performance or compatibility with certain extensions. Always back up important sessions or use Chrome’s sync feature before experimenting with experimental builds.

Is This the Future of Browser Design?

Vertical tabs signal a broader trend: browsers are evolving from simple webpage viewers into integrated productivity platforms. With features like tab groups, memory-saving sleeping tabs, and now vertical layouts, Chrome is acknowledging that users don’t just browse—they work, create, and collaborate inside their browsers.

For knowledge workers, developers, and digital creators, these enhancements reduce cognitive load and streamline complex workflows. And as AI-powered browsing assistants (like Google’s own Gemini integrations) become more common, having a structured, navigable tab environment will be essential for managing AI-curated research, auto-generated summaries, and multi-source analysis.

Vertical tabs may seem like a small change, but they reflect a deeper understanding of how people actually use the web in 2026—not in short bursts, but in sustained, multi-threaded sessions that demand clarity and control.

Should You Try It Now?

If you regularly manage more than 10 tabs at once—or if you’ve ever closed a tab only to realize five minutes later it was the one you needed—vertical tabs are worth testing. The setup takes less than two minutes, and the payoff in usability is immediate.

While it’s still behind a flag, Google’s quiet rollout suggests confidence in the feature’s readiness. Early adopters are helping shape its final form, and your feedback (via Chrome’s built-in reporting tools) could influence how it evolves before hitting the stable release.

So go ahead: install Chrome Beta, flip the switch, and reclaim your browser real estate. Your future self—drowning in fewer tab chaos—will thank you.