Windows 11 has been rolling out all sorts of interesting updates since it's come out. Many come out to the test servers first, and have featured all sorts of changes we love, like these UI animations and HDR sliders.
Though there have also been plenty that make us less happy and break Microsoft Store apps.
Thankfully the update we've learned about today via Hardware.info appears to be one that will bring the rads rather than the sads. While it's certainly not everyone's favourite platform, a new Windows OS has meant plenty of changes and some have come to its most basic of systems. Your general Windows 11 PC using experience should be about to get just a little bit better, as Explorer is getting yet another added feature.
We've known Windows 11 Explorer was set to see tabs for a while thanks to the last insider build testing out this feature. It may not sound like much, but being able to organise my day-to-day use of explorer folders with tabs rather than relying on separate windows is going to be much more convenient to manage. I can keep different windows with tabs grouped of folders to get quick and immediate access to my files, but apparently it gets even better.
The Linux faithful out there may be howling about how they've had tabbed file explorer windows for ages now, but they really just need to get over it.
Not only are tabs coming, but they're doing more than just being a super useful quality of life tool for your daily life. They're using far less RAM. Reportedly opening a new tab will only increase memory consumption by one MB. It's hard to get a say on exactly how much RAM opening an explorer window generally uses, and of course this is going to be a little different for everyone, but it's more than that.
Windows 11 review: What we think of the new OS
How to install Windows 11: Safe and secure install
What you need to know before upgrading: Things to note before downloading the latest OS
Windows 11 TPM requirements: Microsoft's strict security policy
Still, saving RAM on a task many of us may just have sitting idly open across many different windows could make a nice little difference to your computer's performance. It could be especially great for managing things like game capture, without adding extra stress to the machine.
While it may sound like a small update overall, tabs coming to Windows Explorer may just make your daily computing life that little bit smoother, in more ways than one. If you're looking for other ways to speed up your Windows 11 experience, don't forget to make sure you're using a good SSD as your boot drive; there's really no excuse to be sticking with the ol' spinning platter hard drives anymore.
