Windows 10 Sets: How do the tabs work and when can you try them?

Microsoft has announced a new Windows 10 feature, called Sets.

"Sets" is basically another name for tabs. The company is planning to add tabs to apps in Windows 10, allowing you to group together apps in a single window pane. Windows 10 testers have been clamoring for tabs in File Explorer, and this looks to be Microsoft's response. But the company hasn't committed to a release date yet; it's just announcing Sets and promising to open the feature to testers.

Here's what you need to know.

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What are Sets in Windows 10?

Imagine you're typing in a Word document and need to switch over to your browser to look something up or copy a paragraph from a note app, with Microsoft's new Sets feature, you can create tabs of all these apps in a single window. It’s designed to minimise the clutter of several open windows on your Windows 10 desktop, while still allowing you to keep tasks separate from each other.

Sets are also designed to let you easily move to a mobile device. Once you group apps together on a desktop, Microsoft will let you resume what you're doing on an iPhone or Android (or vice versa). Sets also include a universal search feature. Microsoft is planning to bring Sets to standard desktop apps like File Explorer and Notepad, and eventually, third-party apps, like Photoshop.

So, it will need to get desktop and mobile app developers on board. 

How do Sets in Windows 10 work?

Check out Microsoft's early-look preview below:

When can you try Sets in Windows 10?

Microsoft wants to get feedback on the feature.

So, the company said Windows 10 testers, who are part of the Insider beta-testing program, will first start testing Sets in the "coming weeks". However, the tab integration will be initially limited to Windows 10’s s Universal Windows apps, like Edge, Mail, and other apps from the Microsoft Store. Microsoft plans to bring it to every window and every application, like Explorer, Word, and Minecraft.

An updated desktop version of Office will support Sets next year.

How do you become a Windows Insider?

Go to Microsoft’s Windows Insider website, then sign into your Microsoft account, and click Get Started to become a Windows Insider. It's free to join Microsoft's beta-testing program. Then, on your Windows PC, open the Settings app, click Update & Security, and then click Windows Update. From there, select Advanced Options. Under the Get Insider Preview builds, click select Get started. That's it.