14 DAY TRIAL // Tab support in File Explorer is without a doubt one of the most requested features in Windows 10, and it looks like Microsoft not only got the message but it’s also pushing it one step further and trying to offer you much more than a simple tab feature for the file manager.
According to a new report, Microsoft is exploring ways to bring tabs for all apps in Windows 10, be they apps published in the Windows Store or Win32 software, as part of a project called Tabbed Shell.
With a name that pretty much tells everything about its purpose, this new project is supposed to make tabs an essential part of the operating system, mostly in an effort to offer more consistency across Windows 10.
Possibly coming in Redstone 4
File Explorer will definitely be one of the apps getting tab support, but with Tabbed Shell, tabs will become available in any window running on your Windows 10 system, without any change made by the developer.
And although tabs can become available without developers moving a single finger, Microsoft is planning to give vendors some control by offering them access to the API and allowing them to create a more seamless implementation that comes with custom titles, tab colors, or buttons for new tabs.
At this point, however, it looks like this is just an internal idea that’s still in its early days, so there’s absolutely no confirmation that tabs can indeed go live in Windows 10, though this would perfectly make sense and align with what users expect to get in future updates.
The next milestone for Windows 10 is the release of Redstone 3 in the fall, but it’s believed that Microsoft could hold tabs back for a little longer, possibly until Redstone 4 arrives in the spring of 2018. Of course, this isn’t the best news for users, but Microsoft wants to make sure that everything’s working correctly.
More information could be provided at the Build developer conference in May, when a closer look at Redstone 3 improvements would also be provided.