Windows 10 Redstone 5 Won T Include Sets Tabbed Windows

Microsoft has rolled out Windows 10 Build 17704 for Windows Insiders. That provides a preview of the things we can expect to see in the Redstone 5 update later this year. However, Microsoft has left Sets out of the latest preview build, which is one of the most hotly anticipated features for Windows 10.

Sets is a new tabbed window feature that Microsoft plans to add to Windows 10. It will enable users to group apps and website pages together within one single window. Instead of having three or four separate app windows open, you can group the programs together in one single window and then switch between them with their tabs. Sets is something Windows 10 should have included from the outset.

However, Microsoft has removed Sets from the 17704 build preview. That does not mean the company is abandoning Sets, but Microsoft needs more time to develop tabbed windows further. A Microsoft blog post states:

That does not exactly confirm Microsoft will not include Sets in Redstone 5. However, the removal of Sets from the latest build preview highlights that Microsoft is delaying tabbed windows. Thus, Sets will probably not be a part of the next Redstone update.

Starting with this build, we’re taking Sets offline to continue making it great. Based on your feedback, some of the things we’re focusing on include improvements to the visual design and continuing to better integrate Office and Microsoft Edge into Sets to enhance workflow. If you have been testing Sets, you will no longer see it as of today’s build, however, Sets will return in a future WIP flight.

If you really can’t wait for Sets in Win 10, check out TidyTabs. TidyTabs is third-party software that adds program tabs to Windows much the same as Sets. Then you can switch between programs by selecting their tabs on the same window. TidyTabs Pro is retailing at $9.99, but you can try out a freeware version that restricts users to grouping three windows. Click Download on this webpage to add TidyTabs to Windows.

To add folder tabs to File Explorer, check out the freeware Clover. That adds tabs to File Explorer as shown in the snapshot below. Clover also enables users to open Control Panel tabs within Explorer. Press the Free Download button on this page to save Clover’s setup wizard.

Sets is still on the way, but probably will not now see the light of day until 2019. When tabbed windows are in Win 10, they could be a game changer for the platform’s UI. Who needs a taskbar when you can utilize tabbed windows instead? You can check out this article for further Sets details.