How to Auto Group Similar Tabs in Microsoft Edge

This guide shows you how to make Microsoft Edge automatically group similar tabs, so your browser stays tidy without you having to drag tabs around manually. You’ll learn how to turn on the feature, adjust its behavior, and fix it if it doesn’t work as expected. All you need is a recent version of Edge on Windows or Mac.

What You’ll Need

Microsoft Edge (version 114 or later, though the feature is still rolling out to some users).
A stable internet connection to get the latest Edge updates.
Several tabs open that share a common domain or topic (e.g., multiple Gmail tabs, multiple news sites).

Step-by-Step

Update Microsoft Edge. Go to edge://settings/help in the address bar. Edge will automatically check for updates and install any available. Restart the browser if prompted.
Open the Settings page. Click the three-dot menu (⋯) in the top-right corner of the browser window, then select Settings.
Navigate to the Appearance section. In the left sidebar, click Appearance. (If you don’t see a sidebar, click the hamburger menu at the top-left first.)
Find the “Group similar tabs” toggle. Scroll down until you see the Group similar tabs option. It’s usually under the “Customize toolbar” or “Tabs” heading. If you don’t see it, your Edge version may not have the feature enabled yet—see the Troubleshooting section below.
Turn on the toggle. Click the switch so it turns blue. This enables automatic tab grouping.
Open several similar tabs. For example, open two or three tabs from the same website (like different pages on Wikipedia) or multiple tabs from the same domain (like example.com and example.com/page2).
Watch the tabs group themselves. Within a few seconds, Edge should automatically color-code and group those tabs together. You’ll see a small label at the beginning of the group, and the tab strip will show them as a cluster.
Rename or customize the group (optional). Right-click on the group’s label (the colored bar or name) and select Rename group to give it a custom name. You can also choose a different color for the group.
Ungroup tabs manually (if needed). Right-click on a tab within the group and select Ungroup to remove that tab from the group. To remove the entire group, right-click the group label and select Ungroup group.
Turn off the feature (if you don’t like it). Go back to edge://settings/appearance and toggle off Group similar tabs.

Common Mistakes

Expecting it to group by topic, not just domain. Edge groups tabs by the website’s domain (e.g., all youtube.com tabs together), not by the content of the page. It won’t group a YouTube video and a Wikipedia article about the same subject.
Turning it on but not opening enough similar tabs. The feature needs at least two tabs from the same domain to trigger. If you only have one tab from a site, it won’t group.
Assuming it works on all sites. Some sites use multiple domains (like google.com and google.co.uk) and Edge may not group them if they’re not on the exact same domain.
Forgetting to update Edge. The feature is only available in recent versions. If you haven’t updated, you won’t see the toggle.

Tips

Use it with Tab Groups manually. You can still create your own tab groups by right-clicking a tab and selecting Add tab to group > New group. The automatic feature works alongside manual groups.
Pin frequently used tabs. Pinned tabs (right-click > Pin) don’t get grouped automatically, which is handy for keeping your email or calendar always visible.
Combine with Sleeping Tabs. Enable Sleeping tabs in edge://settings/system to free up memory for background tabs in groups.
Use keyboard shortcuts. Press Ctrl+Shift+A (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+A (Mac) to open the tab search, which also shows group labels for quick navigation.

Troubleshooting

The toggle doesn’t appear in Settings. This is the most common issue. The feature is being rolled out gradually, so it may not be available for your Edge installation yet. Try these steps:

Go to edge://flags in the address bar. Search for “tab groups” or “auto group”. If you see a flag named Tab Groups Auto Create or Auto Group Tabs, set it to Enabled, then restart Edge. (Note: Flags can be unstable, so use this only if you’re comfortable.)
Make sure you’re on the stable version of Edge, not a beta or dev build. Sometimes the feature is only in those preview versions first.
Check for updates again—sometimes a restart is needed after an update for new settings to appear.

Groups are created but then disappear. If you close and reopen the browser, automatic groups may not persist. This is normal—the feature re-groups tabs when they are opened again. If they disappear while you’re browsing, try disabling and re-enabling the toggle.

Tabs from the same site aren’t grouping. Ensure the tabs are on the exact same domain (e.g., en.wikipedia.org vs fr.wikipedia.org are different subdomains). Also, try opening a new tab and visiting the site again—sometimes Edge needs a fresh tab to trigger the grouping.

Grouping causes performance issues. If you have many tabs, auto-grouping might slow down the browser. Turn off the feature and use manual groups instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does auto-grouping work on all websites?

No, it only works on websites that share the same domain. It won’t group tabs from different sites even if they’re about the same topic.

Can I turn off auto-grouping for specific sites?

There’s no built-in way to exclude specific sites. You can manually ungroup tabs, but the feature will try to group them again if you open more tabs from that site.

Will my manually created groups be affected?

No, manual groups remain intact. Auto-grouping only creates new groups for tabs that aren’t already in a group.

Does auto-grouping sync across devices?

No, the grouping is per-device. It doesn’t sync to your other computers or phones.

Why doesn’t the feature work on my work computer?

Your IT administrator may have disabled the feature via policy. Check with your IT department if you can’t find the toggle.

Can I change the color or name of an auto-created group?

Yes, right-click on the group label and choose Rename group or select a different color from the palette.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

More in this bed

The whole Tech How-To bed →