Vertical tabs in Chrome: how to turn them on and off

Chrome can now show your tabs down the left side of the window instead of along the top. It is one of the newest additions to Chrome, landing in 2026 after years of vertical tabs being an Edge and Vivaldi thing. If you tend to keep a lot of tabs open, it is worth trying: every tab keeps a readable title instead of shrinking to a sliver. Here is how to switch, and how to switch back.

How to turn on vertical tabs

1. Right click the tab strip at the top of the Chrome window (an empty spot next to your tabs works best).
2. Choose Show tabs vertically. Your tabs move into a sidebar on the left of the window.

Chrome remembers the choice, so your tabs stay on the side until you change it back. You can also collapse the sidebar to a narrow strip of icons when you want the room back, and expand it again when you need the titles.

How to switch back

Right click anywhere inside the tab sidebar and choose Show tabs horizontally. The tab strip returns to the top of the window straight away. Nothing is lost either way: your open tabs, pinned tabs, and tab groups all come along for the ride.

Do not see the option?

Vertical tabs arrived in Chrome 146 in spring 2026 and rolled out gradually, so an out of date Chrome is the usual reason the menu item is missing. Click the three dots menu, then Help, then About Google Chrome, and let it update. Two more things to check: vertical tabs are desktop only, so they will not appear on a phone or tablet, and a work managed browser can have the feature switched off by an administrator.

Why vertical tabs help

A tab strip along the top runs out of room fast: past a dozen tabs, every title shrinks to an icon and finding anything means clicking through them one by one. A sidebar holds far more tabs with their titles still readable, and tab groups show as labeled sections that are easy to scan. If a handful of sites never leave your window, pinned tabs work in the sidebar too.

What about your bookmarks bar?

The bookmarks bar stays exactly where it was: a horizontal row under the address bar. So even with your tabs running down the side, your saved links still live in a row along the top, and a long row is easiest to read when it is broken into sections. If yours could use some structure, see how to organize bookmarks with separators.

Common questions

What version of Chrome has vertical tabs?

Vertical tabs arrived in Chrome 146 in spring 2026 and rolled out gradually after that. If you do not see the option, update Chrome: click the three dots menu, then Help, then About Google Chrome.

How do I turn off vertical tabs?

Right click anywhere inside the tab sidebar and choose Show tabs horizontally. Your tabs move back to the top of the window straight away.

Can you get vertical tabs on your phone?

No. Vertical tabs are a desktop feature, on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Chrome on Android and iPhone uses the tab grid instead.