Here's how to enable vertical tabs and sidebar in Firefox
Firefox has finally jumped on the vertical tabs bandwagon, introducing a feature that’s been a hit with power users for years. If you’re tired of scrolling through endless horizontal tabs, here’s how to give vertical tabs a spin in Firefox Nightly.
Why Vertical Tabs?
Vertical tabs have been a mainstay in browsers like Microsoft Edge and Vivaldi for a while now, offering a more organized and efficient way to manage multiple tabs. Even Chrome users have been using unofficial extensions to get in on the action.
Enabling Vertical Tabs in Firefox Nightly
Keep in mind that this feature is still in its experimental phase, so you'll need to be using Firefox Nightly:
- Update: Make sure you have the latest version of Firefox Nightly (version 131 or later).
- Go to Firefox Labs: Head over to Settings > Firefox Labs.
- Activate Experiments: Enable both the “Sidebar” and “Vertical tabs” experiments. (It’s crucial to enable both!).
Adding the Sidebar Icon
Currently, you need to manually add the sidebar icon to your toolbar:
- Customize Toolbar: Right-click on the toolbar and select “Customize toolbar.”
- Drag and Drop: Drag the sidebar icon to your preferred spot on the toolbar.
First Impressions
Firefox's vertical tabs implementation is still in its early stages, but it's functional. The sidebar neatly displays your open tabs, making them easier to read and manage. However, there might be some UI quirks, such as text overlapping icons, which are expected to be ironed out in future releases.
Customization and the Future
One of the great things about Firefox's approach is the customization. You can choose which tools you want to see in the sidebar alongside your vertical tabs, like history and bookmarks.
The Firefox team is eager for user feedback, so if you're a tab-heavy browser, give vertical tabs a shot and let them know what you think!
