On November 17, 2025, overseas media outlets reported that the most recent Canary build of Google Chrome's desktop browser has incorporated a vertical tabs feature. Users can simply right - click on the tab bar and choose the 'Show tabs on side' option. Once this is activated, the tabs will shift to the left - hand sidebar, replacing the conventional top - positioned layout.

The vertical tabs interface is well - thought - out. At the top, there's a tab search function. It also encompasses tab groups and has a new tab button located at the bottom. The sidebar is equipped with collapse and expand controls at its upper part. Moreover, all the features available in the current version operate seamlessly.

When users right - click within the vertical tabs area, they can select 'Show tabs on top.' This option allows for a smooth transition back to the horizontal layout. The right - click menu is also packed with useful choices, such as closing the current tab, closing other tabs, and performing various other operations. This provides users with a comprehensive set of tab management capabilities.

Testing has demonstrated that switching between horizontal and vertical layouts is a breeze. Although the interface still has a somewhat unfinished look, the fundamental structure is firmly in place. This new feature adheres to the design philosophy of mainstream browsers. It integrates tab search, tab groups, and collapse/expand controls, making it easy for users with large screens to manage a large number of tabs.

At present, this feature is still in its nascent stages. The interface layout and the positions of buttons are likely to undergo further adjustments before the official public testing kicks off. It's worth noting that Microsoft Edge introduced vertical tabs back in 2021. Other browsers like Vivaldi, Brave, Firefox, and Arc have also rolled out similar features.

In the past, many Chrome users had to rely on extensions to achieve this vertical tab layout. However, with Chrome's native support for vertical tabs, managing a multitude of tabs is anticipated to become significantly more straightforward.