How to Completely Disable ‘Sleeping Tabs’ via Group Policy in Microsoft Edge

Sleeping Tabs is a performance optimization feature in Microsoft Edge that automatically suspends background tabs after a set period of inactivity. This frees up RAM and CPU resources. While generally beneficial for laptops on battery power or resource-constrained devices, Sleeping Tabs can be disastrous in specific enterprise workflows. If a background tab is running a continuous real-time web application, a heavily monitored dashboard, or a complex financial charting tool, the tab suspending itself can cause the application to drop its WebSocket connection, lose unsaved data, or stop refreshing critical metrics.

This guide explains how to completely disable the Sleeping Tabs feature system-wide in Microsoft Edge using Group Policy, ensuring all web applications remain fully active and persistently connected regardless of user interaction.

Disable Sleeping Tabs via Group Policy

To enforce a strict block that prevents tabs from ever entering a suspended state, we must deploy an administrative template. Note that this requires Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions.

1. Log into Windows 11 with an Administrator account.
2. Press the Windows Key + R to open the Run dialogue box.
3. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter to launch the Local Group Policy Editor.
4. In the left-hand navigation pane, navigate precisely to this path:

   Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge > Sleeping Tabs settings

5. In the right-hand pane, locate the policy named Configure Sleeping Tabs.
6. Double-click the policy to open its configuration window.
7. Select the radio button next to Disabled.
8. Click Apply, then click OK.

Verify the Configuration Lockdown

Group Policy changes require the browser to read the registry upon its next launch. Close all active instances of Microsoft Edge.

To verify the restriction is active, reopen Microsoft Edge and click the three horizontal dots (Settings and more) in the top right corner, then select Settings. Navigate to the System and performance tab on the left. Under the “Optimize Performance” section, the toggle for “Save resources with sleeping tabs” will be completely greyed out and set to the Off position, accompanied by a briefcase icon indicating that the setting is strictly managed by your organization. Your web applications are now guaranteed continuous execution.