Microsoft Previews ‘Sets’ for Windows 10 and New Alt-Tab Experience

At Build 2018, Microsoft previewed its upcoming Sets feature for Windows 10 in more detail. We previously learned of the feature in some initial Redstone 5 builds, and now we have a better idea of how the feature will work.

windows-10-sets

According to Microsoft, Sets will essentially allow you to have your entire workflow inside a single window. On stage, the company demoed how you can have a Microsoft Edge open and start tabs for things like PowerPoint, Word, and Photos right in the same window. Basically, instead of having a ton of windows open at the same time, you’ll have a single window with a ton of tabs open. It’s up to you to decide whether this is actually better or not.

If you do have a ton of tabs open (that is, a ton of web page tabs open), you’ll be able to use the Alt-Tab shortcut to switch between websites you have open. This was a common complaint amongst users so it’s nice to see the feature being implemented.

Sets will also be accessible from Timeline.

Screenshot (117)

Unfortunately, even though both features will be implemented into a future Insider build, Microsoft didn’t specify when either will launch. Last year, when the company debuted Timeline, it said the feature would ship in the Fall Creators Update. However, it didn’t wind up reaching users until the April 2018 Update. Therefore, Microsoft isn’t promising anything regarding the release of Sets or the new Alt-Tab shortcut. Rather, they want to make sure both are “great” before they’re seeded.

We’ll let you know if we learn anything else in this regard.