Microsoft is about to limit Alt + Tab functionality in Windows 11

FanTABstic. Another feature altered.

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Microsoft is about to limit ALT + TAB functionality: Microsoft is about to make some crazy changes to the way Windows has fundamentally worked for around a decade. And we don’t yet know if we’re too happy about it.

Now Read: How to enable TPM 2.0 for Windows 11

Change can be a good thing, but one thing is clear, it certainly isn’t when speaking of core Windows functionalities. We like things to remain the same. However, Microsoft is planning to limit the functionality of the Alt + Tab keyboard shortcut.

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Windows to change the Alt + Tab functionality in Windows 11

The change isn’t too drastic, but it is a change nonetheless. The Alt-Tab keyboard shortcut is a well-known feature among long-time Windows users that facilitates the switching between open apps and windows.

Microsoft has incorporated additional functionality to this feature in recent years, enabling users to Alt-Tab through Edge tabs. However, the company is currently experimenting with a new implementation that diminishes its practicality.

Currently, in the Settings section labeled “System > Multi-tasking”, there is only one option available that pertains to Alt-Tab. This singular option involves choosing whether Microsoft Edge tabs should appear when using the Alt + Tab shortcut. However, a new choice has emerged in recent Insider builds of Windows 11. The new option is titled “Show tabs from apps when snapping or pressing Alt + Tab”.

According to Xeno, a reputable source of all things unreleased Windows, this alteration can be observed across multiple preview versions of Windows 11.

When Accessing the setting there are only four options available to the user, with the limit being 20 Tabs.

This is a very large change from the other option, which was a seemingly infinite number of tabs.

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Microsoft limits Alt + Tab to 20 tabs in Windows 11

Microsft has limited the Alt + Tab functionality to the last 20 tabs inside the latest Windows 11 insider preview. Whilst 20 tabs seems like a lot, it can quickly add up if you have the Edge-enabled tabs mixed in.

For people like us who write news for a living, 20 tabs are nothing. This could seriously affect users’ ability to work effectively and annoy others who are just used to the old almost infinite functionality.

The change is no doubt an effort to cut resource usage of Windows 11 down, as the whole world moves toward becoming much more mobile, efficiency is key when designing operating systems. This is especially true in a world plagued by an energy crisis. Whether or not this new feature makes it out of the Insider builds remains to be seen.

Let us know what you think about the upcoming changes to Windows 11.