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For over a decade, power users have clamored for a fundamental shift in Google Chrome's tab management: the ability to display tabs vertically along the side of the browser window instead of horizontally across the top. While competitors like Microsoft Edge, Brave, and Vivaldi implemented this feature years ago—leveraging their shared Chromium foundation—Chrome stubbornly resisted. That resistance is finally crumbling.

Evidence surfaced this week in the Chromium Gerrit, the code review system for Chromium projects, confirming active development. A commit labeled "[Vertical Tabs] add feature flag" and another detailing metrics logging for the "VerticalTabs state" (Commit Link) signal Google's intent to bring this paradigm shift natively to Chrome. The metrics commit explicitly mentions future logging for "whether the vertical tabstrip is being rendered," confirming the UI element's core development.

Why Vertical Tabs Matter

Horizontal tabs become unwieldy with heavy browsing. As tabs multiply, they shrink into indistinguishable favicons, forcing users to hover or open the cumbersome "tab carousel." Vertical tabs solve this:

  • Space Efficiency: Leverages the typically underused vertical space of modern widescreen monitors.
  • Scalability: Displays significantly more tabs with readable titles.
  • Organization: Groups related tabs visually and makes switching between large sets faster.

"I find vertical tabs make the browser UI cleaner and tabs easier to manage," notes contributing writer Jack Wallen in the original ZDNET report. "The combination of workspaces and vertical tabs makes for an incredibly efficient browser experience."

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Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

The Long Road and Current Alternatives

The delay in Chrome's adoption is notable, especially given that Edge, Brave, and Vivaldi—all Chromium-based—proved the feature's viability and user demand long ago. Chrome users have relied on third-party extensions, often with inconsistent results or performance hits. The native implementation promises seamless integration and stability.

Development is in early stages, meaning a stable release is likely months away. In the interim, Wallen recommends browsers with mature vertical tab implementations:

  • Microsoft Edge: Offers robust vertical tabs coupled with workspace features, providing a powerful organizational structure.
  • Brave: Delivers a clean, performant vertical tab experience alongside its privacy focus.

Implications for the Browser Landscape

Chrome's move validates vertical tabs as more than a niche preference. Its massive user base means this UI shift will become mainstream, potentially pushing remaining holdouts (like Opera, which Wallen uses but notes lacks native vertical tabs due to its sidebar focus) to follow suit. It represents a significant step towards browsers adapting interfaces for power users managing complex workflows and information overload.

While the wait continues for Chrome's official rollout, the Chromium commits are a definitive signal: the era of cramped horizontal tab bars in Chrome is nearing its end. For developers and professionals juggling dozens of tabs daily, this isn't just a cosmetic change—it's a fundamental improvement in navigating the modern web's complexity.

Source: ZDNET - Finally! Chrome is getting vertical tabs