Microsoft Removes 'Sets' App Tabs Feature From Latest Windows 10 Insider Preview

Months after its emergence for Windows Insiders, Microsoft has now decided to temporarily remove its Sets feature, which allowed users to improve their work flow by grouping relevant apps into a single window with app tabs. The feature, which was originally conceived to bring a tabs integration within apps such as Microsoft Office and Edge, has been removed from the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview. The removal is claimed to help make the feature "great" in the future. Also, it is reported that the Redmond giant is not in plans to bring Sets to the next major Windows 10 update later this year. The initial feedback through early testers will help the company bring some improvements to the visual design of the feature and make it better to enhance workflow before making it public. However, there isn't any specific timeline on its comeback at least for Windows Insiders.

"Starting with this build, we're taking Sets offline to continue making it great," said Microsoft's Head of Windows Insider Program Dona Sarkar and Senior Program Manager Brandon LeBlanc in a joint blog post while announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17704. "Based on your feedback, some of the things we're focusing on include improvements to the visual design and continuing to better integrate Office and Microsoft Edge into Sets to enhance workflow. If you have been testing Sets, you will no longer see it as of today's build, however, Sets will return in a future WIP flight."

As Sarkar and LeBlanc stated, the comeback of Sets is confirmed. But notwithstanding, The Verge reports citing sources familiar with the development that the tabs integration will not be a part of the next major Windows 10 update. This suggests that Microsoft is tweaking the experience that debuted with Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17063 back in December last year. In March, Microsoft also expanded Sets for Windows Insiders who have opted into the Skip Ahead ring and brought the tabs integration to Mail, Calendar, OneNote, and MSN News. There were also new dedicated keyboard shortcuts to switch to the new tab, go back to the previous tab, open a new tab, or to close the current tab.

The prime purpose of Sets is to group similar apps and tasks under one roof and offer tabs for each screen, similar to how tabs work in a Web browser. Initially, Microsoft announced that the feature will work with apps including Microsoft Edge, OneNote, and Microsoft Word and frequent Web destinations such as YouTube, Facebook, and Spotify. It also debuted on Office 365 to help users even sync their app tabs across devices and scroll down the tab page to see the recently opened Office documents.

That being said, while Sets is a great example of how multitasking can be uplifted on computing devices, Microsoft hasn't planned its public appearance yet.