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After a week with Chrome’s vertical tabs, switching back to the row across the top felt awkward. The side list made it easier for me to recognize tabs by their full titles and keep groups in view; the horizontal strip still has the advantage of leaving the side of the page unobstructed. Chrome lets you switch between the layouts, so you can try both with your own tabs rather than assume one is universally better.
What changed when I moved my tabs to the side
Chrome’s vertical tabs put the tab list beside the webpage instead of above it. The option is built into Chrome, not a separate extension. Google announced it on April 7, 2026, describing the layout as a way to read full page titles and manage tab groups. Those are Google’s stated benefits, not independent proof that vertical tabs make everyone more productive. Google’s announcement
In my week-long trial, the practical difference was how I identified an open page. A top strip gives each tab limited horizontal room, so titles can be cut short when many tabs are open. The vertical list gave me more of each title to scan, and returning to the old strip made that loss of context feel noticeable. That preference is personal: the sources do not establish a universal best layout or a productivity gain.
How to turn on vertical tabs in Chrome
Chrome Help documents several ways to change the tab position. Depending on your device and the menus available in your version, use one of these routes:
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- Right-click blank space on the tab strip or a tab, then choose Show Tabs Vertically.
- Open Settings > Appearance and select Vertical under Tab position.
- Open More > More tools and choose the vertical-tabs option.
- On Mac, use the View menu.
Google’s initial announcement gave the right-click route as the quick way to enable the feature. For the current documented options, see Chrome Help: Manage tabs in Chrome.
What to adjust while you try the side list
Resize it to suit your pages
The vertical list’s width can be resized. Make it wide enough for useful title text, then check whether the narrower webpage area bothers you. This is the main trade-off to test: more room for tab labels comes from the side of the browser window.
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Scroll and use tab groups
You can scroll through the vertical tab list, and hovering over a tab group previews it. These controls may help when the list is longer than the space available, but how helpful they feel depends on your own tab habits and screen layout. Google also lists tab-group management among the reasons to use the feature. Chrome: What’s New
How do I switch Chrome tabs back to the top?
Choose Show tabs horizontally. You can make that change from the tab-strip context menu or the documented tab-position controls in Settings; on Mac, the View menu is another route. The choice is reversible, so switching layouts does not commit you to keeping the sidebar.
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Are vertical tabs better than horizontal tabs?
They were better for me during this week because I preferred seeing more of each page title and scanning a side list. Horizontal tabs may suit you better if you want to preserve the full width of the webpage or you already find the top strip quick to scan. The useful comparison is not a general productivity claim, but whether each layout works with your screen and your typical number of open tabs.
- Try vertical tabs if shortened labels make it hard to find the page you want, or if you regularly work with tab groups.
- Keep horizontal tabs if you value available page width more than seeing longer tab titles.
- Test both using your ordinary browsing session, and resize the side list before deciding.
Google says availability varies by region, so the option may not appear for everyone. Its own “double digits” wording describes a use case, not a tested threshold for when vertical tabs become better. Chrome: What’s New
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