Google Chrome Adds Vertical Tabs and Cleaner Reading Mode to Tame Browser Clutter

Google shipped Chrome 146 on Tuesday, rolling out vertical tabs to stable desktop users on Windows, macOS, Linux, and ChromeOS for the first time, pairing the long-awaited layout change with an overhauled Reading Mode that now fills the entire window instead of splitting the screen.

The update moves Chrome's tab strip from its traditional horizontal position at the top of the browser window to the left-hand side, saving vertical real estate and giving text labels on tabs more room to breathe. Once enabled, vertical tabs remain the default setting until the user actively switches back to the horizontal layout. Toggling between the two is straightforward: a right-click in the tab area lets users switch between vertical tabs and the classic horizontal strip.

The feature was more recently popularized by the Arc browser, a predecessor to the AI browser Dia, and Chrome had spent years resisting its adoption. The delay put Google at a conspicuous disadvantage among power users. Microsoft Edge launched its vertical tab sidebar back in March 2021, while Vivaldi shipped with vertical tabs as a core feature from day one. Chrome's native implementation, which first appeared in the Canary experimental channel before graduating to Beta in January 2026, has now cleared the final hurdle into stable.

Tab Groups functionality and a plus button for adding new tabs sit at the bottom of the vertical sidebar, maintaining Chrome's familiar workflow while giving users exponentially better tab visibility. With vertical tabs enabled, Chrome also places shortcuts for tab groups next to bookmarks, and a dropdown menu makes navigating those groups more intuitive than the horizontal layout allows.

The Reading Mode changes arriving alongside vertical tabs are equally practical. Prior to Tuesday's update, Chrome's Reading Mode opened in a split view alongside the original web page. It now fills the entire window. Reading Mode removes visual elements like photos and ads from a page, making for a more digestible reading experience, and can be triggered by right-clicking anywhere in a tab and selecting "Open in Reading Mode."

Chrome 146 introduced WebGPU Compatibility mode for developers alongside the interface changes, but it is the tab and reading overhaul that marks the most visible shift in Chrome's desktop experience in years. For users routinely managing dozens of open tabs, the sidebar layout addresses one of the browser's most persistent usability complaints without requiring any extensions or third-party tools.