Enlarge a tab group
Temporary tab group enlargement gives one group more room in a split window, making wide file lists, images or terminal output easier to view. Restoring the layout returns all groups to their original split proportions.
This feature is available from v0.29.3 and requires at least two tab groups in the window. To create a split first, follow Tabs & split panes.
Area and enlargement levels
A tab group consists of the tabs that share a tab bar in one pane. Enlargement applies to the whole group and stays active when you switch tabs within it.
Each enlargement step fills the next enclosing split area and temporarily hides the other part of that split. Further steps expand the group until it fills the window’s main area. Full screen here refers to the group’s area inside the window; it does not put the application into the operating system’s full-screen mode.
The number of levels depends on how many nested splits contain the group. For example, split the window into left and right parts, then split the right part into upper and lower groups. Enlarging the lower-right group works as follows:
| State | Lower-right group’s area | Other groups |
|---|---|---|
| Original layout | Lower-right area | Left and upper-right groups are visible |
| Enlarged one level | Entire right area | Upper-right group is hidden; left group remains visible |
| Enlarged two levels | Window’s main area | Left and upper-right groups are hidden |
| Enlarge one more level | Original lower-right area | All groups return to their original split proportions |
Hidden groups are not closed, and their tabs remain open. Group numbers do not change during enlargement, so the visible numbers may have gaps.
Toggle full screen with the group number badge
- Find the group you want to enlarge and click its number badge in the tab bar.
- Once the group fills the window’s main area, continue browsing or using the current tab as usual.
- Click the same number badge again to restore the original split layout.
If the group is already enlarged but has not reached full screen, clicking its number badge enlarges it directly to full screen.
Enlarge one level at a time with shortcuts
Click a tab or the content area in the target group to focus it, then use the shortcuts below.
| Action | Windows / Linux | macOS | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximize Tab Group | Ctrl+Shift+Enter | ⌃+⌘+Enter | Enlarge directly to full screen; restore the original layout if already full screen |
| Enlarge Tab Group One Step | Ctrl+Shift+= | ⌃+⌘+= | Enlarge one level; pressing again at full screen restores the original layout |
| Shrink Tab Group One Step | Ctrl+Shift+- | ⌃+⌘+- | Shrink one level; at the first level, restore the original layout |
| Restore Zoomed Tab Group | Ctrl+Shift+0 | ⌃+⌘+0 | Restore the original layout from any enlargement level |
Change these shortcuts under Settings → Keyboard & Mouse → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts; see Keyboard shortcuts. Shrinking or restoring has no effect when no group is enlarged.
Read the level and restore the layout
While enlarged, the group number is accompanied by Zoom, the current level and the maximum level. For example, Zoom 2/3 means the group is at level two, with one more level available. These are split levels, not a zoom percentage.
Click ✕ in the indicator to restore the original split layout directly. Hover over this button to see Restore and its current shortcut binding.
In a horizontal tab bar, the indicator follows the group number. In a vertical tab bar, it sits below the number. When space is limited, only ✕ is shown; it still restores the layout.
Switch to another group
Clicking a tab, content area, navigation bar or bottom bar in another visible group focuses that group and restores the original layout. Moving focus to another group with the keyboard also restores it.
Clicking another group’s number badge enlarges that group directly to full screen.
Clicking an empty area of another visible group’s tab bar is an exception: focus moves to that group, but the original group stays enlarged. Clicking a tab or content area in the other group then restores the layout.
After moving focus only through an empty tab bar area, the full-screen and enlarge-one-step shortcuts enlarge the newly focused group. The shrink-one-step and restore shortcuts still act on the previously enlarged group.
Layout changes and saving
Creating or closing a split pane, dragging tabs to create a new split, double-clicking a divider to swap its sides, or switching layouts restores the original proportions automatically. Switching tabs within the same group or opening Settings or a folder picker does not restore the layout.
Temporary enlargement is independent for each window and is not saved in sessions or layouts. Saving a layout while a group is enlarged saves the original split proportions. Restarting also returns to the original split layout.