Chrome Starts Nudging Users to “Move Tabs to the Side” When Many Tabs Are Open in Canary. The nudge brings Chrome’s vertical tabs feature closer to release.
The message appears near the tab bar when the browser detects a crowded tab strip. Chrome suggests switching to the vertical tabs layout to make tab management easier.
The prompt reads:
Move tabs to the side. See entire tab titles, easily manage tab groups, and free up vertical space by moving your tabs to the side.
Chrome also explains how to turn on the feature. The browser asks users to right-click the tab strip and select “Show tabs vertically.”
The right-click menu now uses clearer wording for the layout controls. Users can choose “Show tabs vertically” to move tabs into a sidebar. They can return the tab strip to the top by selecting “Show tabs horizontally.”
Once vertical tabs turn on, Chrome places all open tabs in a sidebar on the left side of the window. The sidebar lists tab titles and provides a collapse control that reduces the sidebar width when users want more space for web pages.
Chrome also displays another tip after the sidebar opens. The message appears near the vertical tab strip and reads:
“Try collapsing the tab strip to get more space.”
The tip shows the collapse button in the sidebar. The button reduces the width of the tab strip and gives more room to view webpages.
Chrome then displays a confirmation message that reads “Nicely done!” The browser explains that users can move tabs back to the top by right-clicking any tab and choosing “Show tabs horizontally.”
Google has tested the vertical tabs feature in Chrome for some time. Chrome now uses clearer wording such as “Show tabs vertically” and “Show tabs horizontally.” The browser also displays on-screen nudges that ask users to move tabs to the side. Chrome also works on other interface changes, such as the GlowUp design that cleans up the tab strip and introduces a glass-style toolbar.
For users who keep dozens of tabs open, the vertical layout provides a clearer view of tab titles and easier access to tab groups.
Chrome Canary version 147 now shows these changes during testing. If testing continues without issues, the Vertical Tabs feature may become available to users in Chrome 147.
