Microsoft Edge might be getting a Snap Layouts capability, according to patent

Snap Layouts is one of the most valuable capabilities in Windows 11 as it lets users rearrange everything on their screen to make it easier to streamline information from one place to another. File Explorer tabs, applications, and even browsers can be arranged in squared shapes with just a click.

However, Microsoft is considering bringing this capability to Edge, the Internet browser, by allowing users to rearrange browser tabs like they would rearrange File Explorer tabs with Snap Layouts.

In a recent paper, Window Arrangements Using Tabbed User Interface Elements, the Redmond-based tech giant explains in great detail how this capability would work, and it even provides visual examples, such as the one you see above, to showcase how it would look.

Imagine you have several different application windows on your computer, one of which is a web browser with several open tabs. Some of these tabs are active (the ones you’re currently looking at), and others are inactive (the ones you aren’t currently looking at).

You can activate a “snap assist mode” feature similar to Snap Layouts by giving a specific command or input in Microsoft Edge. This feature helps you organize and arrange your open windows and tabs on the screen. A unique interface appears when you activate snap assist mode. This interface shows small representations (icons or thumbnails) of your tabs and application windows.

If you choose one of these tab representations from the snap assist interface, the web browser will open that tab and make it active for viewing.

The Snap Layouts capability in Microsoft Edge would make the browser stand out. Users can quickly organize and access their tabs and windows without wasting time. It helps keep the workspace tidy and makes multitasking easier. Users also don’t have to drag and rearrange browser tabs manually; Snap Layouts does it.

Considering the capability is not advanced technology, Microsoft might actually release it in the next months, as a way to push Edge forward even more. After all, the browser, despite its bad reputation (fueled by Microsoft’s nagging), is better than Chrome in many regards. Currently, it’s the second most used browser in the world, but this feature might make it the most popular one.

You can read the full paper here.