How to Hide Microsoft Edge Tabs from Alt+Tab in Windows 10

To stop individual Microsoft Edge tabs from appearing in the Windows 10 Alt+Tab switcher, open Settings > System > Multitasking and set the Alt+Tab option to Open windows only. On some Windows builds, the equivalent choice is labeled Don't show tabs. Edge itself stays open as a single app window; this setting does not close browser tabs or turn off Edge.

Microsoft added Edge tabs to the Windows task switcher with the Windows 10 October 2020 Update (version 20H2). The setting lets you show every Edge tab, only a few recent tabs, or none. The interface illustrations below are visual guides; spacing and wording can vary slightly by Windows build.

Hide Edge tabs from the Windows 10 Alt+Tab menu

1. Open Settings. Press Windows key + I, or select Start > Settings. Choose System.

2. Open Multitasking. In the System section, select Multitasking from the left navigation pane. If the list is long, scroll the pane until you see it.

3. Find the Alt+Tab setting. On the Multitasking page, locate the dropdown under Alt + Tab or a label such as Pressing Alt + Tab shows. The exact heading depends on the Windows release.

4. Choose Open windows only. If your menu says Don't show tabs instead, choose that option. Avoid the options that explicitly include Edge tabs if you want the classic app-window list.

Now hold Alt and tap Tab to check the switcher. It should list open app windows without creating a separate entry for every Edge tab. An Edge window can still appear as one item, and other open windows remain available. Release Alt when the window you want is highlighted.

This preference changes only the Windows Alt+Tab list. It does not affect the separate Task View opened with Windows key + Tab, Edge’s tab strip, or which apps start when you sign in.

Show fewer tabs instead of hiding all of them

If you use Alt+Tab to return to a page you just viewed, you can keep a small number of Edge tabs in the switcher. Open the same dropdown and select a recent-tab limit. The Windows 10 options documented during the feature rollout included all open Edge tabs, the five most recent tabs, or the three most recent tabs, alongside the windows-only choice. The choices shown can vary with the installed Windows release.

A three- or five-tab limit can make the switcher easier to scan while preserving quick access to recent pages. This preference affects Windows task switching only; it does not change your Edge tab strip, close tabs, or change how Ctrl + Tab moves between tabs inside the browser.

If Edge tabs still appear in Alt+Tab

• Recheck the selected option. Return to Settings > System > Multitasking and confirm that Open windows only or Don't show tabs is still selected. Then open the switcher again.
• Check your Windows version. Press Windows key + R, type winver, and press Enter. The Edge-tab integration arrived in Windows 10 version 20H2; an earlier release may not have the same dropdown.
• Distinguish tabs from windows. With the feature disabled, an Edge window may still appear once in Alt+Tab. The setting hides its individual tabs; it does not hide the whole browser window.
• Use the matching label. If you cannot find “Open windows only,” look for “Don't show tabs” under the Alt+Tab or multitasking options. Microsoft’s current Windows multitasking guide uses that wording.

Windows 10 support status

Windows 10 reached the end of standard support on October 14, 2025. The operating system and this setting can continue to work, but Microsoft no longer provides standard technical assistance, feature updates, or security updates for Windows 10. See Microsoft’s Windows 10 end-of-support guidance for current options, including Extended Security Updates.

Microsoft references

• Microsoft Support: How to multitask in Windows
• Microsoft Edge Blog: Multitasking improvements in Windows 10 and Microsoft Edge
• Windows Experience Blog: What’s new in the Windows 10 October 2020 Update