How to Completely Disable ‘Vertical Tabs’ System-Wide in Microsoft Edge

Vertical Tabs in Microsoft Edge allow users to move the tab bar from its traditional horizontal position at the top of the browser to a vertical pane on the left side of the screen. While many users appreciate the optimized screen real estate on ultra-wide monitors, it can be confusing for users accustomed to legacy browser layouts. In enterprise environments, standardizing the user interface reduces helpdesk calls. Therefore, administrators may wish to enforce the classic horizontal tab layout and remove the Vertical Tabs button entirely to prevent accidental activation.

This guide explains how to completely disable the Vertical Tabs feature system-wide in Microsoft Edge using Group Policy, ensuring the browser interface remains standardized.

Disable Vertical Tabs via Group Policy

To enforce a strict UI layout that cannot be changed by the end-user, we must use 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, carefully navigate to the following path:

   Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge

5. In the right-hand pane, scroll down to locate the policy named Configure the availability of Vertical Tabs.
6. Double-click the policy to open its configuration window.
7. Select the radio button next to Enabled.
8. In the “Options” pane below, click the drop-down menu and select Disable (this explicitly disables the feature rather than just allowing user choice).
9. Click Apply, then click OK.

Verify the Standardized Layout

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

To verify the restriction is active, open Microsoft Edge and look at the extreme top-left corner of the browser window (next to the first open tab). The small, square “Tab actions menu” icon that is normally used to toggle Vertical Tabs will be completely missing. Furthermore, if you right-click any open tab, the “Turn on vertical tabs” option will be removed from the context menu. The browser is now permanently locked into the traditional horizontal tab configuration across all user profiles.