Chrome finally catches up: vertical tabs & reading mode arrive

After years of watching competitors innovate, Google is belatedly bringing two highly-requested features to Chrome: vertical tabs and a dedicated reading mode. The changes, long available in experimental builds, are now rolling out broadly, signaling a potential shift in Google’s approach to browser development – one perhaps influenced by the rising popularity of alternatives like Arc.

Vertical tabs: a space-saving revolution?

The vertical tab implementation isn't groundbreaking; it’s a feature pioneered and perfected by others, most notably The Browser Company’s Arc. Still, its arrival in Chrome is welcome. Users can now opt to display tabs in a sidebar, freeing up valuable horizontal screen real estate. A right-click on any Chrome window now reveals the “Show Tabs Vertically” option, making activation remarkably simple. The address bar gracefully relocates, maximizing the display area for the website you're actively browsing. For power users juggling numerous tabs, the change promises a significant boost in efficiency – no more endless scrolling across a congested tab bar.

But there’s a clever detail here. The sidebar can be minimized to show only website favicons, essentially vanishing the Chrome interface and delivering a surprisingly minimalist browsing experience. It's a subtle touch that speaks to a desire for cleaner, less cluttered visual design – something Arc has championed from the outset.

Reading mode: drowning out the noise

Alongside vertical tabs, Chrome is finally gaining a proper reading mode. This feature strips away extraneous elements – ads, navigation menus, and distracting visuals – leaving only the core text and images of a webpage. Activation is equally straightforward: a simple right-click brings up the “Open in reading mode” option. It’s a feature many expected years ago, and its inclusion is a clear response to user demand for a more focused and distraction-free reading experience.

The irony, of course, is that Google is playing catch-up. Arc's vertical tabs are more elegantly integrated, with the address bar nestled within the sidebar itself, maximizing screen utilization even further. I, for one, migrated to Arc partly for this reason, and the prospect of Google replicating Arc’s ‘Spaces’ feature is enough to consider a full-time return to the Chrome ecosystem. The platform undoubtedly offers a broader app compatibility.

The real question isn't whether Chrome can catch up, but whether Google will continue to borrow from the playbook of smaller, more agile browser developers.