Microsoft Edge could soon let you hide its title bar while using vertical tabs

Edge Dev Hero 2020 Newfeature
Edge Dev Hero 2020 Newfeature (Image credit: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft Edge Canary now has options to hide its title bar in settings and a context menu.
  • Previously, the option was only available through edge://flags.
  • Hiding the title bar of Edge provides more space when using the vertical tabs.

Microsoft Edge Canary now has options that make it easier to hide its title bar when using vertical tabs. You can now set the browser to hide its title bar through a context menu and through the browser's settings. Until recently, you could only enable this functionality through an experimental flag through edge://flags.

The new options were spotted by Leopeva64-2, who shared them on Reddit. Edge Canary features generally arrive through controlled rollouts, so you might not see the options yet.

Vertical tabs are a relatively new experience for the Edge browser that Microsoft is still perfecting. Initially, vertical tabs weren't designed to reduce how much screen space the browser's UI took up, but many people requested the option to hide Edge's title bar. When vertical tabs are enabled and the title bar is hidden, Edge has a clean browsing experience.

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

Vertical tabs also allow you to easily jump between different tabs. You can see website icons for each tab and then hover over the panel to expand it. Because you can resize the vertical tabs panel to show full URLs, it's easy to distinguish between different pages of the same website.

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

The fact that Microsoft has added the option to hide the title bar while using vertical tabs to Edge's settings could be a good sign for fans of the feature. While the option is only available on Edge Canary, it could be a sign that Microsoft is warming up to the idea.

Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He's covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean's journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.