Overview
- Google is releasing the features in stages to the stable Chrome 147 build, adding a left‑side vertical tab sidebar and an upgraded reading view.
- Users can enable vertical tabs by right‑clicking the tab bar and selecting “Show Tabs Vertically,” which moves tabs into a collapsible left sidebar that shows full page titles for easier scanning.
- The new reading mode can open in full screen from the address bar button or the context menu and strips ads, sidebars, and overlays for cleaner text.
- Readers can adjust fonts and layout and use a read‑aloud option, which helps with long blog posts, docs, and technical pages.
- Google has not detailed enterprise policy controls or extension access to the new sidebar, and the move brings Chrome closer to Firefox, which added native vertical tabs in March 2025 and has offered Reader View since 2015.