Whether you hoard tabs (guilty!) or prefer an uncluttered display, Google Chrome wants to help sort out your browser once and for all. New tab groups, available now in Chrome Beta, make it easy to catalog as many websites as you can open.
Simply right click to group and label tabs with a custom name and color. Create collections for work, family, research, or play. Or, flex those organizational muscles by building sub-groups for specific tasks or people. Once tabs are linked, you can move or reorder them en masse.
“We’ve been testing out tab groups for several months now (as have some of you), and we’re finding new ways to stay organized,” Edward Jung, UX engineer for Chrome, wrote in a blog post. Some folks, for instance, prefer to arrange by topic, while others categorize by urgency (“ASAP,” “this week,” “later”) or headway (“haven’t started,” “in progress,” “need to follow up,” “completed”).
“My pro tip is that you can use an emoji as a group name,” Jung said, suggesting a heart for inspiration or an open book for articles to read. “Tab groups are customizable so you can decide how to use them. And just like regular tabs, your groups are saved when you close and reopen Chrome.”
In an effort to ensure browser stability and performance, tab groups are rolling out “slowly” in the latest version of Chrome, due out next week. The desktop-only feature will be available across Chrome OS, Windows, Mac, and Linux. There is no word on a mobile variant.
