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Windows 11 multitasking to get better in an important way

By Arif Bacchus Published March 10, 2022

There are already many ways to multitask in Windows 11, with Snap Layouts and Snap Groups being the biggest ones, but one more important multitasking ability could be on the way. That is all according to Rafael Rivera, an advanced Windows Insider, who has managed to enable a new hidden “tabs” feature in the Windows 11 File Explorer.

In 2017, beta versions of Windows 10 had a”Sets” feature that would let you create tabs in core system apps for faster access to your other programs and documents. It was eventually canceled by Microsoft, and this new Windows 11 feature is similar but is only built into File Explorer at the moment. It adds space above the File Explorer title window, and a new “plus” button to open new tabs for different folders like Pictures, Music, Downloads, and network or This PC. Each of these tabbed areas then works independently of each other.

Windows 11's tabs in the File Explorer — Rafael Rivera/ Twitter

The feature is yet to be officially detailed by Microsoft, but several Windows Insider beta testers with PCs enabled in the Dev Channel branch of Windows 11 have already managed to enable it. Based on what we’ve seen, you can use this to save some time and improve your multitasking. You can expect to open more of your files and folders in one instance without having to jump between different windows. There’s even an “overflow” menu that lets you cycle between all the open tabs if things were to get too busy.

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If this sounds familiar if you’re a MacOS user, then you’re not mistaken. Apple’s operating system also lets you do something similar to open multiple items within an app or in the Finder in a tab, though it’s not usually turned on by default.

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Since tabs in the File Explorer is being tested and is hidden in the Dev Channel of Windows 11, this feature isn’t linked to a specific release. That means there’s once again the chance that it might not ever make it to the regular version of Windows 11, and Microsoft could remove the feature from the Dev Channel at any time once it becomes official. Yet third-party programs like the Files app and Stardock’s Groupy are a great solution to get this tabbed experience today in Windows.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…

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