Microsoft Edge is packed with hidden features, and many users don’t take advantage of tools like Tab Groups. If you always keep numerous tabs open at once, grouping related tabs can help you manage them more effectively. The best part? Edge can do this automatically using AI. Here’s how to use the feature.
Turn On Tab Search
First, you need to enable the tab search feature in Edge.
- Open Edge and click the three-dot “Settings and more” icon in the top-right corner (or press Alt + F keys).
- Select “Settings” from the dropdown menu to open Edge settings page.
- In the left sidebar, go to the “Appearance” section. Scroll to the bottom of the right pane and select the “Tabs” option.
- Locate and turn on the “Show tab search” toggle.
- This will enable a small dropdown menu button in the top-left corner of the browser.
Example of Tabs for Grouping
Let’s use an example to test how AI automatically groups tabs. We’ve opened the following four webpages:
- Bing Search
- Google Search
- CNN
- CNBC
Ideally, the AI should group these into two categories: the first two under a “Search” group, and the last two under a “News” group. Let’s check it out.
Automatically Grouping Tabs with AI
- After opening the tabs, click the tab search icon in the top-left corner and select “Organize tabs”.
- The AI will analyze your open tabs and suggest group names.
- As expected, the suggestion groups Bing and Google under “Search Engines”, and CNN and CNBC under “News”.
- If you want, click the pencil icon to edit the group name and color.
- When you’re satisfied, click the “Group tabs” button at the bottom.
- Your tabs will now be neatly arranged in the title bar. Simply click a group name to expand it and view the tabs inside.
Managing Tabs in a Group
In our earlier article, we’ve explained various options for managing tabs in Edge browser. There are also several options for managing tabs within a group.
- Hover over the group name to see a list of tabs. Select “New tab in group” to add another webpage to that group.
- Choose “Edit group” to rename the group or change its color.
- You can also ungroup tabs, move them to a new window, close all tabs in a group, or delete the group entirely.
If you have many tab groups, click the “Tab search” icon and type a keyword to quickly find a specific tab. This search works across all open and recently closed tabs (from your history), including both groups and individual tabs.
Using Vertical Tab Groups
Another useful option is to display tabs in a vertical sidebar on the left side of the browser, rather than along the top title bar.
- Go to Edge’s tabs settings page (edge://settings/appearance/tabs) and turn on “Show vertical tabs”.
- The browser layout will instantly change, moving your tabs and groups to the left sidebar.
- From there, you can pin / unpin the sidebar, create new groups, or delete existing ones. You may find this layout easier to navigate than the traditional title bar.
Adding Additional Tabs to Existing Groups
On the same Edge settings page, turn on “Drag to group tabs” option. Now you can drag any tab and drop it into an existing group. As you drag, Edge will highlight the group’s color on the tab, making it clear which group you’re moving it into. Alternatively, right-click a tab, go to “Add to tab group”, and select an existing group from the list to move the tab there.
Final Words
If you’ve never used Tab Groups in Edge or didn’t even know they existed, give them a try. They keep your title bar clean and organized, and the visual color coding makes it easy to identify tabs. Combine automatic grouping with vertical tabs and tab search, and you’ll get the most out of this powerful productivity feature.
