Windows 10’s Redstone 5 update has a “Sets” feature that adds tabs to
almost every window on your desktop. But it also changes how Alt+Tab
works, since those tabs appear in the normal Alt+Tab switcher you use to
switch between windows.
almost every window on your desktop. But it also changes how Alt+Tab
works, since those tabs appear in the normal Alt+Tab switcher you use to
switch between windows.
You can disable this, if you like, to make Alt+Tab work more like it used to. Redstone 5 is currently available in Insider Preview form, and will be released in the Fall of 2018 under a different name that presumably won’t have anything to do with dogs.
What is Sets?
The Sets feature on Windows 10 adds tabs to almost every
application’s title bar. It supports traditional desktop applications
that use the standard Windows title bar and new UWP applications from
the Store, too. Some applications use their own custom title bars for
example, Chrome, Firefox, Steam, and iTunes so they won’t support Sets.
application’s title bar. It supports traditional desktop applications
that use the standard Windows title bar and new UWP applications from
the Store, too. Some applications use their own custom title bars for
example, Chrome, Firefox, Steam, and iTunes so they won’t support Sets.
Applications that do work with Sets will have a tab bar inserted into
their title bars. Click the “+” button on the title bar to open a new
tab. In the current version of Redstone 5, this opens a new Microsoft
Edge browser tab in any application.
their title bars. Click the “+” button on the title bar to open a new
tab. In the current version of Redstone 5, this opens a new Microsoft
Edge browser tab in any application.
You can also drag these tabs between windows. So, if you open a File
Explorer window and a Notepad window, you can drag the Notepad window to
the File Explorer window’s tab bar. You’ll have a window with both File
Explorer and Notepad tabs, and you can click the “+” button to add Edge
browser tabs.
Explorer window and a Notepad window, you can drag the Notepad window to
the File Explorer window’s tab bar. You’ll have a window with both File
Explorer and Notepad tabs, and you can click the “+” button to add Edge
browser tabs.
This is really just a new way of organizing your open applications.
You can combine windows together with these “Sets.” For example, if
you’re writing a document in Microsoft Word, you can click the “+”
button to open an Edge browser tab and search for something, then switch
back to your Word tab—all without ever leaving the window.
You can combine windows together with these “Sets.” For example, if
you’re writing a document in Microsoft Word, you can click the “+”
button to open an Edge browser tab and search for something, then switch
back to your Word tab—all without ever leaving the window.
The Alt+Tab Key Combo Now Shows Tabs, Too
Microsoft changed how Alt+Tab works to make it easier to switch
between Sets tabs. Now, when you press Alt+Tab, Windows shows both tabs
and windows. For example, if you have two open windows containing a
total of four tabs, you’ll see four different thumbnails in the Alt+Tab
view instead of two.
between Sets tabs. Now, when you press Alt+Tab, Windows shows both tabs
and windows. For example, if you have two open windows containing a
total of four tabs, you’ll see four different thumbnails in the Alt+Tab
view instead of two.
This is an even bigger change if you use Microsoft Edge to browse the
web. If you have multiple tabs open in Microsoft Edge, Alt+Tab now
shows every browser tab you have open as a separate thumbnail instead of
just showing your open windows. (This change doesn’t affect apps like
Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, which use their own type of tab that
isn’t based on Sets.)
web. If you have multiple tabs open in Microsoft Edge, Alt+Tab now
shows every browser tab you have open as a separate thumbnail instead of
just showing your open windows. (This change doesn’t affect apps like
Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, which use their own type of tab that
isn’t based on Sets.)
You can still switch between just open windows by pressing Windows+Tab or clicking the “Task View” icon to the right of Cortana on your taskbar. This view shows thumbnails of only your open windows.
How to Make Alt+Tab Only Show Windows
To make the Windows Alt+Tab switcher behave like it used to, head to Settings > System > Multitasking.
Scroll down to the “Sets” section, click the drop down under the
“Pressing Alt+Tab shows the most recently used” option, and then select
the “Windows Only” setting.
“Pressing Alt+Tab shows the most recently used” option, and then select
the “Windows Only” setting.
You can still use keyboard shortcuts to switch between tabs, even after
changing this setting. Press Windows+Ctrl+Tab to switch to the next tab
or Windows+Ctrl+Shift+Tab to switch to the previous tab.
changing this setting. Press Windows+Ctrl+Tab to switch to the next tab
or Windows+Ctrl+Shift+Tab to switch to the previous tab.