Google Chrome, the world’s most popular browser with over 71% market share, has long lacked a feature offered by competitors like Edge, Brave, and Firefox: vertical tabs.
The browser was first spotted testing a vertical tab layout in Chrome Canary last November. Now, the feature has appeared in Chrome Beta, signaling that its public release may be imminent.
According to Android Authority, vertical tabs are currently hidden behind a flag in Chrome Beta version 145. Following Google’s usual rollout pattern, the feature is expected to be available in the stable Chrome version by January 28.
For users eager to try it early, vertical tabs can be enabled in Chrome Beta or Canary by visiting the chrome website. After enabling the flag, a new option called “Show tabs on side” appears when right-clicking the tab bar.
Selecting this option moves the entire tab strip, with all open tabs, to the side of the browser window. Users can revert to the traditional horizontal tab layout anytime by right-clicking within the vertical tabs area and selecting “Show tabs at the top.”
