How to Switch Tabs in Windows 11 File Explorer

File Explorer 📁 tabs in Windows 11 let you open several folders inside one window. You can organize your screen and find files faster without a pile of separate windows. Microsoft introduced the tabbed layout in late 2022 to replace the old habit of opening a new window for every folder.

To switch between open tabs, click the tab at the top of the window or press Ctrl+Tab. With a few folders open side by side, you can copy files from one location to another or check a document without cluttering your desktop.

Tabs need Windows 11 version 22H2 with its later updates installed. If you don’t see them, run Windows Update 🔃 and restart. Tabs work the same on Home and Pro, and there is nothing to enable in Settings.

Switch between multiple tabs with File Explorer in 🪟 Windows 11

Either way, you move between folders without opening extra windows.

You need at least two tabs open before there is anything to switch to. The steps below cover opening them first, then the different ways to move between them.

Open File Explorer 📁 and add a second tab

1. Open File Explorer: open File Explorer, or use the shortcut Windows key + E. You should see a File Explorer window with one tab at the top, usually named after the folder you are in.
2. Press CTRL + T to open a new tab. A second tab appears next to the first, and it becomes the active tab.

You can also add a tab with the mouse, in either of these ways:

• Click the Add new tab (+) button on the title bar, to the right of your last tab.
• Right-click a folder and select Open in new tab. The folder opens in its own tab, as shown below. The tab you were on stays as it was.

Once two or more tabs are open, you can switch between them with the mouse or the keyboard.

Switch tabs with the mouse

1. Click the tab you want in the tab strip at the top of the window.
2. Check the window. The tab you clicked is now highlighted, and the folder contents below it change to match.

Jump straight to a tab by its position

1. Count the tabs from left to right. The leftmost tab is number one.
2. Press CTRL + 1 through 9 to jump directly to one of the first nine tabs. For example, the first shortcut takes you to the leftmost tab.

This is the fastest method when you keep the same few folders open and know where each one sits. It does nothing if you press a number higher than the tabs you have open.

Cycle to the right

1. Press CTRL + Tab to move to the next tab on the right.
2. Press it again to keep going. When you pass the last tab, focus wraps back to the first one.

Cycle to the left

1. Press CTRL + SHIFT + Tab to move focus to the previous tab on the left.
2. Repeat as needed. From the first tab, it wraps around to the last one.

Shortcuts only work when File Explorer is the active window. To close a tab you no longer need, click the X on that tab. The tabs next to it stay open.

That should cover it!

Conclusion:

• To switch between tabs in File Explorer, click the tab you want, use CTRL + 1 through 9 to jump to one of the first nine tabs, or use CTRL + Tab and CTRL + SHIFT + Tab to move right and left.
• Tabs in Windows 11 File Explorer let you work across several folder locations at once, so you spend less time juggling windows. If you don't see them, install the latest Windows updates.
• We hope this guide helps you move between your tabs quickly.