Microsoft is testing tabs in its Windows 11 File Explorer. The new feature, which is currently available in a limited number of countries, lets you group files and folders together so that they’re easier to access. Tabs are similar to the folders that are currently in File Explorer, but they’re organized into groups. You can open a tab by clicking on it or by pressing the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+T. You can also close a tab by clicking on the X next to it or by pressing the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+W. The new feature is available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. Microsoft plans to add more languages later on. ..
The File Explorer already received a few changes for Windows 11, like an updated toolbar and simpler menus, and now tabbed navigation is in the works. Tabs appear in the title bar of File Explorer menus, and adding more tabs allows you to switch between different directories and drives without managing multiple windows.
Tabs in Windows has been a long time coming. Microsoft was experimenting with a feature called ‘Sets’ in 2017, which allowed different applications (or multiple windows from the same app) to be grouped into a single tabbed window. The Sets feature was shelved in 2019, after Microsoft reportedly received mixed feedback and was running into technical problems getting it to work with Office apps.
Microsoft is also testing a “refreshed layout” for the left navigation pane. OneDrive folders now display the synced account’s name, and default folders like Downloads, Music, and Videos are now listed above ‘This PC’ instead of under the ‘This PC’ submenu.
These changes are now rolling out to some (not all) people in the Windows 11 Insider Preview Dev Channel. Once all the bugs are ironed out, tabs and the updated navigation should roll out to everyone.
Source: Windows Blog
