Windows 10’s Upcoming Sets Feature to Bring Tabs to UWP Apps

One of the biggest feature requests for Windows has been the ability to get tabs within apps like File Explorer. For years, Microsoft didn’t allow users to open up different tabs in File Explorer, but that could be changing soon.

The company has been working on a new feature under the codename Tabshell, which will bring a tabbed experience to some of the apps in Windows sometime in the future. Although, I will be curious to see if their implementation is any better than what Groupy offers.

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday — and get free copies of Paul Thurrott's Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides (normally $9.99) as a special welcome gift!

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

The new feature, dubbed Sets, will bring a tabbed experience to Windows 10. The idea behind Sets might sound a little confusing at first, but it is pretty straightforward. You will be able to create a group or a set of windows where you can add separate apps as tabs (“app tabs”), or even add a web tab powered by Microsoft Edge (via WalkingCat).

Like regular Microsoft Edge tabs, you will be able to switch between them using Ctrl + Tab and take them out of a set to turn them into a completely separate window. Opening a new tab in Sets will open up Microsoft Edge’s new tab page which the company will then promote as increased usage of its browser; if you could change the browser that would be helpful but not holding my breath.

Microsoft will be targetting Sets towards creators as part of its recent push towards bringing more creators-focused features in Windows 10, and it hopes to help improve productivity through an easier multi-tasking experience in the OS. The company Sets won’t require any work from app developers, as it should work with almost every third-party UWP apps in Windows 10 right off the bat.

Sets will be tremendously useful for apps like File Explorer, Microsoft Word, and similar apps, but it is not clear whether it only supports UWP apps for the time being. It is important to note that Microsoft could bring Sets to Windows Insiders in the coming months, or even weeks — so make sure to keep an eye out for it in the upcoming Insider builds.

Tagged with

Share post

Please check our Community Guidelines before commenting

Conversation 29 comments

  • dhallman

    21 November, 2017 - 10:36 pm

    <p>I always looked at the taskbar as a programs tabs area. If the taskbar has the open app, is it not redundant to have apps in tabs? What am I missing? Apps belong in the taskbar. Tabs belong in the apps. How is an app in a tab more productive?</p>

    • manzoor_e

      21 November, 2017 - 11:08 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#219307"><em>In reply to dhallman:</em></a></blockquote><p>You're not missing anything. IMO this obsession for tabs in all application comes from macOS users. In macOS navigation among windows of the same application is much more cumbersome than on Windows, but the tab is easier to deal with. So mac first user want tabs. If you're a Windows first user, taskbar is where it's at. But more options never hurts anyone, and that'd what Windows is about.</p>

      • Davor Radman

        22 November, 2017 - 2:12 am

        <blockquote><a href="#219311"><em>In reply to meelahi:</em></a></blockquote><p>Say you are looking for a flight in skyscanner, and want to decide on the starting point. Would it not be easier to have multiple tabs?</p>

        • dhallman

          24 November, 2017 - 12:16 am

          <blockquote><a href="#219346"><em>In reply to Markiz von Schnitzel:</em></a> OK, I see that. But I would want to open the app multiple times and flip between using alt-tab or the taskbar. I don't see the reason to create a new interface for that.</blockquote><p><br></p>

    • lvthunder

      Premium Member
      22 November, 2017 - 11:25 am

      <blockquote><a href="#219307"><em>In reply to dhallman:</em></a></blockquote><p>It's because tabs are so popular in web browsers.</p>

  • warren

    21 November, 2017 - 10:38 pm

    <p>Okay this is a nice idea and all, but wouldn't the OS be better served by having these developers contribute to the necessary work of killing off the old Control Panel for good? The lack of cohesiveness in configuring/maintaining the OS should be their #1 priority right now. </p><p><br></p><p>Okay, that — and a place in the UI where can see precisely and exactly what is being sent to Microsoft. </p><p><br></p><p>Do just those two things, Microsoft, and a <em>ton </em>of people will get on side.</p>

  • Alex Taylor

    22 November, 2017 - 1:50 am

    <p>When done well (KDE), it's a great option with no downside. </p><p>Unlike the taskbar, you can see the target without having to hover, so for navigating eg multiple spreadsheet it's awesome. </p><p>It also makes it easy to drag a group of windows around (like to another monitor), which the taskbar can't do. </p><p>Because it uses the otherwise 80% empty title bar, you don't lose any space either. </p><p><br></p><p>Looking forward to seeing it on Windows, especially if it eventually works for all apps, not just UWP. </p>

  • Davor Radman

    22 November, 2017 - 2:10 am

    <p>Halelujaaaaah!</p><p>I've been wanting this since.. Forever. It's the main reason I almost always go for a website.</p>

    • JimP

      26 November, 2017 - 5:23 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#219345"><em>In reply to Markiz von Schnitzel:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>I'm curious. Why would anyone vote down the above comment?</p>

  • Luis Sohal

    22 November, 2017 - 6:16 am

    <p>For #HotmailpasswordResetOrRecovery Call on &amp;&amp;**866).(877).(9859)__++</p><p>#Outlook Support Number</p><p>#Micrsosoft Support Number</p><p>#Outlook Password&nbsp;</p><p>#OutlookSupport&nbsp;</p><p>#HotmailPasswordRecovery</p><p>#OutlookandMicrosoft Support Phone Number</p><p>Call ***866).(877).(9859&gt;&gt;&gt;</p><p><br></p>

  • Person

    22 November, 2017 - 6:45 am

    <p>They’ve been looking at macOS a lot lately so it seems. </p>

    • Winner

      22 November, 2017 - 11:47 am

      <blockquote><a href="#219406"><em>In reply to Person:</em></a></blockquote><p>Oh they've been trying to chase Apple for at least a couple of decades. It started with Windows itself.</p>

  • Simard57

    22 November, 2017 - 7:36 am

    <p>"<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Tabshell" – is that "Tab Shell" or "Tabs Hell"?</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Happy Thanksgiving to those in the US that celebrate it!</span></p>

  • John Jackson

    22 November, 2017 - 10:58 am

    <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">One of the biggest feature requests …</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">… Microsoft didn’t allow users …</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">… the company has been working…in the future…</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">… but not holding my breath …</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Sets will be tremendously useful …</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">So get it ******* finished, already!</span></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

  • moogleassassin

    22 November, 2017 - 10:58 am

    <p>Looks like how they might be doing the ui for pwa as well, that screenshot looks almost like the mail app is being run as a pwa, which must surely be their intend to make it look to the users they are all the same? </p>

  • Tony Barrett

    22 November, 2017 - 11:35 am

    <p>Wow. Tabs… in UWP apps no less. Now there's a game changer if ever I saw one. Maybe UWP has a chance after all! ;-)</p>

  • Tech_Support

    23 November, 2017 - 12:35 am

    <p>For #HotmailpasswordResetOrRecovery Call on &amp;&amp;**866).(877).(9859)__++</p><p>#Outlook Support Number</p><p>#Micrsosoft Support Number</p><p>#Outlook Password&nbsp;</p><p>#OutlookSupport&nbsp;</p><p>#HotmailPasswordRecovery</p><p>#OutlookandMicrosoft Support Phone Number</p><p>Call ***866).(877).(9859&gt;&gt;&gt;</p>

  • Tech_Support

    23 November, 2017 - 12:35 am

    <p> For #HotmailpasswordResetOrRecovery Call on &amp;&amp;**866).(877).(9859)__++</p><p>#Outlook Support Number</p><p>#Micrsosoft Support Number</p><p>#Outlook Password&nbsp;</p><p>#OutlookSupport&nbsp;</p><p>#HotmailPasswordRecovery</p><p>#OutlookandMicrosoft Support Phone Number</p><p>Call ***866).(877).(9859&gt;&gt;&gt;</p>

  • Win74ever

    23 November, 2017 - 11:50 am

    <p>We need tabs in Windows Explorer. An useful software. Not some mobile-app-on-desktop nonsense.</p>

  • JimP

    26 November, 2017 - 5:26 pm

    <p>I hope we'll be able to rearrange the tab order. Sometimes, I'll have 3 or 4 instances of Visual Studio opened at the same time and it's helpful for me to keep them in a particular order.</p>

  • JaviAl

    Premium Member
    27 November, 2017 - 8:01 am

    <p>I don't want, I don't like and I don't need ugly and limited mobile UWP apps in my desktop computer that i never use. I need new features to real applications/programs.</p>

  • JWadle

    Premium Member
    16 June, 2018 - 2:32 pm

    <p>The tabbed window capability appeared in my Office 365 Outlook about 10 days ago (e.g. message list and open messages in separate tabs of the same window), but then disappeared a few days later. I assume this was in conjunction with a new Windows 10 preview build or Office 365 update?</p>

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Thurrott © 2024 Thurrott LLC