[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":854},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-chrome-vertical-tabs-vs-tabbiy":3,"blog-surround-chrome-vertical-tabs-vs-tabbiy":806,"blog-all-posts":811},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"cover":781,"date":782,"description":783,"draft":784,"extension":785,"faq":786,"howto":794,"meta":795,"navigation":796,"path":797,"seo":798,"stem":799,"tags":800,"updated":804,"__hash__":805},"blog/blog/chrome-vertical-tabs-vs-tabbiy.md","Chrome Vertical Tabs vs Tabbiy: What the Built-in Sidebar Can't Do",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":755},"minimal",[9,20,23,32,37,40,46,61,83,90,94,97,131,134,138,141,249,257,261,264,269,277,325,333,337,345,351,355,362,366,373,377,380,393,397,589,593,596,638,644,648,651,665,673,677,681,684,688,691,695,698,702,705,709,716,720],[10,11,12],"blockquote",{},[13,14,15,19],"p",{},[16,17,18],"strong",{},"TL;DR:"," Chrome 146's built-in vertical tabs only reposition the tab strip — no auto-grouping, no hibernation, no quick switch, no session save. Tabbiy runs in the side panel and fills every gap the native sidebar leaves: one-click auto-grouping by domain, custom rules matching paths/subdomains/keywords, hibernation that frees RAM while keeping tabs visible, and save/restore that survives Chrome restarts. Both are free for core use.",[13,21,22],{},"Chrome 146 finally shipped native vertical tabs in March 2026, and by the April stable rollout the flag was no longer required — vertical tabs became a plain Settings toggle. If you have been waiting for Google to solve the cramped horizontal tab strip without an extension, this is the release that answers it.",[13,24,25,26,31],{},"But two questions keep showing up in search: \"chrome vertical tabs not showing\" and \"do I still need a chrome vertical tabs extension.\" The short answer is that the built-in sidebar handles layout, while a tool like Tabbiy handles everything around it — auto-grouping, hibernation, quick switch, and session save. This comparison breaks down where the built-in version stops and where a ",[27,28,30],"a",{"href":29},"/","vertical tab manager"," still pulls ahead.",[33,34,36],"h2",{"id":35},"why-chrome-vertical-tabs-are-not-showing","Why Chrome Vertical Tabs Are Not Showing",[13,38,39],{},"If the menu option is absent, one of three things is usually the cause.",[13,41,42,45],{},[16,43,44],{},"1. Chrome is older than 146."," Native vertical tabs shipped in Chrome 146 (March 2026) and reached everyone in the April stable rollout. Update Chrome first — anything older simply does not have the feature.",[13,47,48,51,52,56,57,60],{},[16,49,50],{},"2. The flag is still required on your profile."," The rollout was staged, so a small number of profiles still need the legacy route: open ",[53,54,55],"code",{},"chrome://flags/#vertical-tabs",", set it to ",[16,58,59],{},"Enabled",", relaunch, then switch the tab position. On Chrome 150 and newer (June 2026 onward), the flag is gone entirely and the setting lives under Appearance.",[13,62,63,66,67,70,71,74,75,78,79,82],{},[16,64,65],{},"3. The setting is in a different menu."," Right-click any open tab or the empty space on the tab strip and choose ",[16,68,69],{},"Show Tabs Vertically",". Or open ",[16,72,73],{},"Settings > Appearance > Tab position"," and switch from ",[16,76,77],{},"Top"," to ",[16,80,81],{},"Side",". Both paths do the same thing.",[13,84,85,86,89],{},"Once enabled, the tab strip moves to a collapsible left sidebar. If you ticked every box above and vertical tabs still are not showing, the staged rollout has not reached your profile — install a ",[27,87,88],{"href":29},"chrome vertical tabs extension"," like Tabbiy for the features the native strip lacks.",[33,91,93],{"id":92},"what-chromes-built-in-vertical-tabs-do","What Chrome's Built-in Vertical Tabs Do",[13,95,96],{},"The implementation is a repositioned tab strip, and the fundamentals are solid:",[98,99,100,107,113,119,125],"ul",{},[101,102,103,106],"li",{},[16,104,105],{},"Full title + favicon + close button"," per tab — no more truncated text at 20 characters",[101,108,109,112],{},[16,110,111],{},"Resizable sidebar"," — narrow it to icon-only mode or widen it to show full titles",[101,114,115,118],{},[16,116,117],{},"Tab group integration"," — group names and colors carry over from horizontal mode",[101,120,121,124],{},[16,122,123],{},"Collapsible to an icon rail"," — one click to reclaim horizontal screen space",[101,126,127,130],{},[16,128,129],{},"Cross-platform"," — Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS",[13,132,133],{},"For someone running 10 to 20 tabs who wanted a cleaner view, the built-in version hits the mark. Titles stay readable past the point where horizontal mode collapses them to favicons.",[33,135,137],{"id":136},"what-the-built-in-sidebar-cant-do","What the Built-in Sidebar Can't Do",[13,139,140],{},"The native sidebar is version one. The gaps are concrete features that power users already rely on extensions for:",[142,143,144,160],"table",{},[145,146,147],"thead",{},[148,149,150,154,157],"tr",{},[151,152,153],"th",{},"Capability",[151,155,156],{},"Chrome 146 Built-in",[151,158,159],{},"Tabbiy",[161,162,163,175,186,197,207,217,228,239],"tbody",{},[148,164,165,169,172],{},[166,167,168],"td",{},"Auto-group tabs by domain",[166,170,171],{},"No — every group created and maintained by hand",[166,173,174],{},"Yes — auto-grouped on open, toggle with one click",[148,176,177,180,183],{},[166,178,179],{},"Custom grouping rules",[166,181,182],{},"No",[166,184,185],{},"Yes — path, subdomain, second-level domain, and keyword matching",[148,187,188,191,194],{},[166,189,190],{},"Tab hibernation",[166,192,193],{},"No — tabs are either open (using RAM) or closed",[166,195,196],{},"Yes — unload processes, keep visible in sidebar; click to reload the page",[148,198,199,202,204],{},[166,200,201],{},"Tab save and restore",[166,203,182],{},[166,205,206],{},"Yes — staging list with one-click restore, max memory release",[148,208,209,212,214],{},[166,210,211],{},"Custom tab titles",[166,213,182],{},[166,215,216],{},"Yes — rename tabs, saved titles persist in staging list",[148,218,219,222,225],{},[166,220,221],{},"Fast tab switch (Alt+E)",[166,223,224],{},"No — click-driven Tab Search only",[166,226,227],{},"Yes — jump between current and recent tab instantly",[148,229,230,233,236],{},[166,231,232],{},"Right-click menu actions",[166,234,235],{},"Partial",[166,237,238],{},"Yes — save window, copy link, configurable middle-click",[148,240,241,244,246],{},[166,242,243],{},"Multi-format export of saved tabs",[166,245,182],{},[166,247,248],{},"Yes — JSON (free), CSV/HTML/Markdown (Pro)",[13,250,251,252,256],{},"None of these absences are surprising. Chrome ships a usable default and leaves power-user functionality to extensions — ",[27,253,255],{"href":254},"/blog/chrome-uses-too-much-memory-fixes/","Memory Saver"," works the same way. The line between \"built-in is enough\" and \"I need an extension\" is whether you switch between multiple projects, keep tabs alive across restarts, or navigate by keyboard.",[33,258,260],{"id":259},"how-tabbiy-compares","How Tabbiy Compares",[13,262,263],{},"Tabbiy runs in Chrome's side panel, just like the native sidebar — but it treats tabs as a workspace to manage, not just a strip to reposition.",[265,266,268],"h3",{"id":267},"auto-grouping-vs-manual-maintenance","Auto-Grouping vs Manual Maintenance",[13,270,271,272,276],{},"This is the biggest gap the built-in version never fills. Tabbiy ",[27,273,275],{"href":274},"/rules/","auto-groups tabs by domain"," the moment you open them, and you can build custom rules that match paths, subdomains, second-level domains, and keywords to organize tabs into named groups automatically. The built-in sidebar respects groups you create by hand, but every group is manual — exactly the kind of task you stop maintaining by Thursday.",[142,278,279,291],{},[145,280,281],{},[148,282,283,286,289],{},[151,284,285],{},"Task",[151,287,288],{},"Chrome Built-in",[151,290,159],{},[161,292,293,304,314],{},[148,294,295,298,301],{},[166,296,297],{},"Group tabs by domain",[166,299,300],{},"Manual, every time",[166,302,303],{},"Automatic, in real time",[148,305,306,308,311],{},[166,307,179],{},[166,309,310],{},"Not supported",[166,312,313],{},"Path, subdomain, second-level domain, and keyword matching",[148,315,316,319,322],{},[166,317,318],{},"Keep groups after restart",[166,320,321],{},"Only if saved manually",[166,323,324],{},"Persistent",[13,326,327,328,332],{},"For a deeper look at how rule-based grouping works, see our ",[27,329,331],{"href":330},"/blog/how-to-auto-group-tabs-in-chrome/","auto-grouping guide",".",[265,334,336],{"id":335},"tab-hibernation-the-middle-ground","Tab Hibernation: The Middle Ground",[13,338,339,340,344],{},"The built-in sidebar has no memory control — tabs are either open (using RAM) or closed (gone). Tabbiy adds ",[27,341,343],{"href":342},"/usage/","hibernation",": hibernated tabs stay visible in the sidebar but unload their processes from RAM, and reload when you click them.",[13,346,347,348,332],{},"This matters when you have tabs you need to keep accessible but are not actively using. With the built-in version, you keep them open and waste memory, or close them and lose context. Tabbiy lets you do both — see how it fits into the broader ",[27,349,350],{"href":254},"Chrome memory fix toolkit",[265,352,354],{"id":353},"fast-tab-switching-alte","Fast Tab Switching (Alt+E)",[13,356,357,358,361],{},"The built-in sidebar has a tab search button, but it is the same click-driven Tab Search UI that existed before. Tabbiy adds ",[16,359,360],{},"Alt+E"," — press it to cycle through your most recently used tabs. It is built for the most common real-world case: comparing multiple pages side by side without reaching for the mouse. Chrome's native sidebar has no equivalent shortcut.",[265,363,365],{"id":364},"session-save-and-restore","Session Save and Restore",[13,367,368,369,372],{},"The built-in sidebar has no session persistence beyond what Chrome already does. Close a window or restart, and your tab layout depends on Chrome's built-in restore — which does not preserve groups or sidebar state reliably. Tabbiy ",[27,370,371],{"href":342},"saves and restores sessions"," with grouping intact, so a crashed window comes back already organized.",[265,374,376],{"id":375},"custom-tab-titles-and-export","Custom Tab Titles and Export",[13,378,379],{},"Two features the built-in version has no answer for:",[98,381,382,387],{},[101,383,384,386],{},[16,385,211],{}," — rename a tab to something you will actually recognize later",[101,388,389,392],{},[16,390,391],{},"Multi-format import/export of saved tabs"," — JSON (free), or CSV/HTML/Markdown (Pro) so tabs move into notes apps, project trackers, or other browsers without reformatting",[33,394,396],{"id":395},"feature-comparison-table","Feature Comparison Table",[142,398,399,410],{},[145,400,401],{},[148,402,403,406,408],{},[151,404,405],{},"Feature",[151,407,288],{},[151,409,159],{},[161,411,412,422,431,439,448,458,467,476,484,492,501,509,517,527,538,547,558,569,578],{},[148,413,414,417,420],{},[166,415,416],{},"Vertical sidebar",[166,418,419],{},"Yes",[166,421,419],{},[148,423,424,427,429],{},[166,425,426],{},"Full tab titles",[166,428,419],{},[166,430,419],{},[148,432,433,435,437],{},[166,434,111],{},[166,436,419],{},[166,438,419],{},[148,440,441,444,446],{},[166,442,443],{},"Collapsible tab groups",[166,445,419],{},[166,447,419],{},[148,449,450,453,455],{},[166,451,452],{},"Tab group colors and names",[166,454,419],{},[166,456,457],{},"Yes (Pro: preset custom group colors)",[148,459,460,463,465],{},[166,461,462],{},"Auto-group by domain",[166,464,182],{},[166,466,419],{},[148,468,469,471,473],{},[166,470,179],{},[166,472,182],{},[166,474,475],{},"Yes (Free: 1, Pro: 3)",[148,477,478,480,482],{},[166,479,190],{},[166,481,182],{},[166,483,419],{},[148,485,486,488,490],{},[166,487,201],{},[166,489,182],{},[166,491,419],{},[148,493,494,497,499],{},[166,495,496],{},"Toggle sidebar (Alt+D)",[166,498,182],{},[166,500,419],{},[148,502,503,505,507],{},[166,504,221],{},[166,506,182],{},[166,508,419],{},[148,510,511,513,515],{},[166,512,211],{},[166,514,182],{},[166,516,419],{},[148,518,519,522,524],{},[166,520,521],{},"Right-click menu enhancements",[166,523,235],{},[166,525,526],{},"Yes (save window, copy link, middle-click)",[148,528,529,532,535],{},[166,530,531],{},"Light / dark theme",[166,533,534],{},"Follows system",[166,536,537],{},"Follows system, manual switch available",[148,539,540,542,544],{},[166,541,243],{},[166,543,182],{},[166,545,546],{},"JSON (Free), CSV/HTML/Markdown (Pro)",[148,548,549,552,555],{},[166,550,551],{},"Privacy",[166,553,554],{},"Built into Chrome",[166,556,557],{},"Local-first, zero tracking",[148,559,560,563,566],{},[166,561,562],{},"Install cost",[166,564,565],{},"Zero (built-in)",[166,567,568],{},"Requires extension install",[148,570,571,574,576],{},[166,572,573],{},"Account required",[166,575,182],{},[166,577,182],{},[148,579,580,583,586],{},[166,581,582],{},"Price",[166,584,585],{},"Free",[166,587,588],{},"Free (Pro: $2.99/mo)",[33,590,592],{"id":591},"how-to-switch-from-built-in-vertical-tabs-to-tabbiy","How to Switch from Built-in Vertical Tabs to Tabbiy",[13,594,595],{},"You do not have to choose — Tabbiy runs in the side panel, so it coexists with the native strip. But if you want Tabbiy as your primary sidebar:",[597,598,599,611,620,626,632],"ol",{},[101,600,601,604,605],{},[16,602,603],{},"Install Tabbiy"," from the ",[27,606,610],{"href":607,"rel":608},"https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/tabbiy-tab-auto-grouping/foddibkdjaahgghfhdphhapjgemgjgnk?hl=en",[609],"nofollow","Chrome Web Store",[101,612,613,616,617],{},[16,614,615],{},"Open the Tabbiy sidebar"," with ",[16,618,619],{},"Alt+D",[101,621,622,625],{},[16,623,624],{},"Let auto-grouping run"," — every new tab joins a domain-based group automatically",[101,627,628,631],{},[16,629,630],{},"Hibernate idle groups"," to free RAM without losing access",[101,633,634,637],{},[16,635,636],{},"Switch the native strip back to horizontal"," (right-click > Show Tabs Horizontally) if you want Tabbiy as the only sidebar",[13,639,640,641,332],{},"For the full workflow — save, hibernate, restore, and keyboard shortcuts — see the ",[27,642,643],{"href":342},"usage guide",[33,645,647],{"id":646},"when-the-built-in-version-is-enough","When the Built-in Version Is Enough",[13,649,650],{},"Tabbiy is not for everyone. Chrome's built-in vertical tabs are the right choice if you:",[98,652,653,656,659,662],{},[101,654,655],{},"Keep under 20 tabs open and close Chrome at day's end",[101,657,658],{},"Never need sessions to survive restarts",[101,660,661],{},"Are happy maintaining tab groups by hand",[101,663,664],{},"Want zero extensions installed",[13,666,667,668,672],{},"If that is you, the built-in version is a genuine improvement and costs nothing. But if you have outgrown a flat vertical strip and want tab management that keeps up with multi-project work, Tabbiy is built for that — and it pairs naturally with our ",[27,669,671],{"href":670},"/blog/tabbiy-vs-onetab/","OneTab comparison"," if you are also evaluating tab savers.",[33,674,676],{"id":675},"faq","FAQ",[265,678,680],{"id":679},"why-are-chrome-vertical-tabs-not-showing","Why are Chrome vertical tabs not showing?",[13,682,683],{},"Chrome vertical tabs need Chrome 146 or newer. If the option is missing, update Chrome first, then right-click the tab strip and choose Show Tabs Vertically, or open Settings > Appearance > Tab position > Side. On older builds, enable chrome://flags/#vertical-tabs and relaunch. If it still does not appear, the staged rollout may not have reached your profile yet.",[265,685,687],{"id":686},"does-chrome-have-a-vertical-tabs-extension","Does Chrome have a vertical tabs extension?",[13,689,690],{},"Yes. Chrome 146 ships built-in vertical tabs, but they only reposition the tab strip. For auto-grouping, hibernation, quick switch, and session save, you need a Chrome vertical tabs extension like Tabbiy, which runs in the side panel alongside the native strip.",[265,692,694],{"id":693},"how-do-i-enable-the-vertical-tabs-flag-in-chrome","How do I enable the vertical tabs flag in Chrome?",[13,696,697],{},"Open chrome://flags/#vertical-tabs, set it to Enabled, and relaunch Chrome. Then go to Settings > Appearance > Tab position and switch it to Side. On Chrome 146 stable and newer (April 2026 rollout), the flag is no longer required — the setting appears under Appearance directly.",[265,699,701],{"id":700},"can-tabbiy-auto-group-tabs-in-the-side-panel","Can Tabbiy auto-group tabs in the side panel?",[13,703,704],{},"Yes. Tabbiy groups tabs by domain automatically the moment you open them, and supports custom rules that match paths, subdomains, second-level domains, and keywords. Chrome's built-in vertical tabs have no auto-grouping — you create and maintain groups manually.",[265,706,708],{"id":707},"is-tabbiy-free-compared-to-chrome-built-in-vertical-tabs","Is Tabbiy free compared to Chrome built-in vertical tabs?",[13,710,711,712,332],{},"Both are free for core use. Chrome vertical tabs are built into the browser. Tabbiy is free with unlimited tabs, auto-grouping, hibernation, and session save. The Pro plan adds more custom grouping rules, unlimited custom groups, and multi-format export. Compare plans on the ",[27,713,715],{"href":714},"/pricing/","pricing page",[33,717,719],{"id":718},"next-steps","Next Steps",[98,721,722,728,735,741,748],{},[101,723,724,727],{},[27,725,603],{"href":607,"rel":726},[609]," and let auto-grouping organize your first session",[101,729,730,731,734],{},"Learn how ",[27,732,733],{"href":274},"auto-grouping rules"," keep tabs organized without manual maintenance",[101,736,737,738,740],{},"See the full ",[27,739,643],{"href":342}," for hibernate, save, and restore workflows",[101,742,743,744,747],{},"Compare ",[27,745,746],{"href":714},"Free vs Pro plans"," for more custom grouping rules (3 vs 1) and multi-format export",[101,749,750,751,754],{},"Read our ",[27,752,753],{"href":670},"Tabbiy vs OneTab comparison"," if you are also evaluating tab savers",{"title":756,"searchDepth":757,"depth":757,"links":758},"",2,[759,760,761,762,770,771,772,773,780],{"id":35,"depth":757,"text":36},{"id":92,"depth":757,"text":93},{"id":136,"depth":757,"text":137},{"id":259,"depth":757,"text":260,"children":763},[764,766,767,768,769],{"id":267,"depth":765,"text":268},3,{"id":335,"depth":765,"text":336},{"id":353,"depth":765,"text":354},{"id":364,"depth":765,"text":365},{"id":375,"depth":765,"text":376},{"id":395,"depth":757,"text":396},{"id":591,"depth":757,"text":592},{"id":646,"depth":757,"text":647},{"id":675,"depth":757,"text":676,"children":774},[775,776,777,778,779],{"id":679,"depth":765,"text":680},{"id":686,"depth":765,"text":687},{"id":693,"depth":765,"text":694},{"id":700,"depth":765,"text":701},{"id":707,"depth":765,"text":708},{"id":718,"depth":757,"text":719},"/blog-covers/chrome-vertical-tabs-vs-tabbiy.jpg","2026-08-13T00:00:00.000Z","Chrome vertical tabs not showing? See what Chrome 146's built-in sidebar misses — auto-grouping, hibernation, quick switch, session save — and how the Tabbiy extension fills the gaps.",false,"md",[787,788,789,790,792],{"q":680,"a":683},{"q":687,"a":690},{"q":694,"a":697},{"q":701,"a":791},"Yes. Tabbiy groups tabs by domain automatically the moment you open them, and supports custom rules that match paths, subdomains, second-level domains, and keywords. Chrome",{"q":708,"a":793},"Both are free for core use. Chrome vertical tabs are built into the browser. Tabbiy is free with unlimited tabs, auto-grouping, hibernation, and session save. The Pro plan adds more custom grouping rules, unlimited custom groups, and multi-format export. Compare plans on the pricing page.",null,{},true,"/blog/chrome-vertical-tabs-vs-tabbiy",{"title":5,"description":783},"blog/chrome-vertical-tabs-vs-tabbiy",[801,802,803],"vertical-tabs","chrome-tips","comparison","2026-08-17T00:00:00.000Z","kJ38qV9waq",{"prev":807,"next":794},{"title":808,"path":809,"stem":810,"children":-1},"Tabbiy vs OneTab: Which Tab Manager Saves More Memory?","/blog/tabbiy-vs-onetab","blog/tabbiy-vs-onetab",[812,819,824,831,837,839,844,850],{"title":813,"path":814,"date":815,"tags":816},"Chrome Tab Memory Calculator: How Much RAM Do Your Tabs Use?","/blog/chrome-tab-memory-calculator","2026-08-10T00:00:00.000Z",[802,817,818],"memory","tools",{"title":820,"path":821,"date":815,"tags":822},"How Much RAM Do Chrome Tabs Really Use? (2026 Benchmarks)","/blog/chrome-tabs-ram-benchmarks",[802,817,823],"benchmarks",{"title":825,"path":826,"date":827,"tags":828},"Chrome Tabs vs. Tab Groups: Which Should You Use?","/blog/chrome-tabs-vs-tab-groups-guide","2026-07-10T00:00:00.000Z",[829,802,830],"tab-management","productivity",{"title":832,"path":833,"date":834,"tags":835},"Chrome Uses Too Much Memory? 7 Fixes That Actually Work","/blog/chrome-uses-too-much-memory-fixes","2026-07-20T00:00:00.000Z",[802,817,836],"performance",{"title":5,"path":797,"date":782,"tags":838},[801,802,803],{"title":840,"path":841,"date":842,"tags":843},"How to Auto-Group Tabs in Chrome: The Complete Guide","/blog/how-to-auto-group-tabs-in-chrome","2026-07-30T00:00:00.000Z",[829,802,830],{"title":845,"path":846,"date":847,"tags":848},"How to Save and Restore Chrome Tab Sessions (Without Losing Anything)","/blog/how-to-save-restore-tab-sessions","2026-06-28T00:00:00.000Z",[829,849,830],"session-restore",{"title":808,"path":809,"date":851,"tags":852},"2026-08-12T00:00:00.000Z",[829,803,853,817],"onetab-alternative",1788011708877]