Finally, Tabs aside 3.0 is here!
Long waited release of the Tabs aside extension is finally here: new UI, new features and new bugfixes!
2 years and 6 months since the planned release date, countless hours of work... Several times the work had to be started from scratch... It's been a long way, but it's finally ready. I am proud to announce one of my biggest open-source updates yet: Tabs aside 3.0!
This update is not just a re-skin of the original extension: every aspect of it was re-worked from the ground up with new logic, new features and, of course, new design.
Let's take a look on some new changes:
And first, new UI!
This UI now fully embraces Microsoft's Fluent UI design language which makes it look fresh and fancy on any modern browser: simple yet powerful. As everything should be.
Customize anything!
Starting from 3.0 collection list's home is now browser's side panel. This was done to improve consistency of the user experience, since panel is now independent from page's content (in earlier versions the panel could appear either inside of the webpage, or in a separate tab, if the page was "special")
Do not like it? You can move it to a popup or a tab (pinned, or closable). The choice is yours.
You can also change what the extension's button does: it can show your collections or save them instead!
You can change how your collections look, what actions you prefer to be you default ones, and so on.
Also, you can now change colors of collections!
Tab groups!
What is better than saving tabs? Correct! Saving groups of tabs!
And of course, you can customize groups just like collections!
Important note for Firefox users:
You have to use Firefox 139 or above to receive this update, since earlier versions of Firefox do not support tab groups
More ways to save tabs
The philosophy of previous versions was that it was supposed to be only a temporary storage for your tabs: You need a pause? You set aside your opened tabs. And sometime later you open them and pick up where you left off.
Slogan for Tabs aside 3.0 is "Bookmarks redefined". This is why now you have much more options to save, organize and open your tabs and collections!
- You can save all tabs
- You can save only selected tabs
- You can save and close all or selected tabs
- You can straight up create a new empty collection
- You can add tabs to existing collections
- You can create empty groups and add tabs to them
- You can... I think you get it :)
Of course, you can also export your collections to your browser's bookmarks.
You can reorder everything!
This is one of the most anticipated features (and the one that brought the most troubles during development) - you can now drag and drop collections, groups and tabs however you like!
One more thing...
During the development I have revised my approach to development and maintenance processes of my projects. This is why, starting from this version, the extension will be receiving regular updates to keep everything up and running.
These updates will include bugfixes, security and feature updates, and will be distributed on a monthly basis. This way, I will make sure that you get the best experience I am able to provide.
Where to download
Right now, the update is going through verification process on Firefox, Chrome and Edge web stores. Once it is done, the update will be available there.
Unfortunately, the verification process may take up to 14 days and I cannot speed up this process.
Once it is out, this section will be updated with download links.
Afterthoughts
Of course, there're quite a few more features to this update, but these were the most notable ones. You can find a full list of changes below, at the end of the article.
Again, this is a big update for this project and for me personally. The project started as a mere replica of an old retired feature of an old retired Microsoft Edge. But this update signifies a new era for me, and for this project, that now has its own path.
As I saw the number of users growing (by the way, we are at 15k of weekly users now!), and all your feedback and support... This is what kept me going. And I will do my best to keep it that way.
Full changelog
General
- Migrated extension to MV3
- Update is available on Firefox only for versions 139 and above
- New UI/UX based on Microsoft's
@fluentuilibrary - Collections are now displayed in multiple columns on wide screens when in "List view"
- Added ability to search and filter collections
- Added ability to sort collections by creation date or alphabetically
- Added ability to reorder collections and items using drag and drop
- Default collection list location was moved to browser's sidebar
- Added ability to save tabs without closing them
- Ability to set aside selected tabs is now reflected in the UI
- Added Ukrainian locale
Collections
- Added ability to change collection's color
- Added ability to open collection in a new window
- Added ability to open collection in a private window (requires permission to work with private windows)
- Added ability to export collection to bookmarks
- Added ability to add selected tabs to an existing collection
- If collection has a color and doesn't have any sub-groups, it will be opened as a tab group
Groups
- Added ability to save and open tab groups
- Groups can be customized
- Pinned tabs are now saved into a "Pinned" group inside a collection
Settings & storage
- Added ability to import/export extension's data
- Added ability to choose default save action (just save tabs, or save and close them)
- Added ability to choose default restore action for collections (just open a collection, or open it and remove from storage)
- Added ability to change collections list location (sidebar, popup, separated tab, or pinned tab)
- (Chromium-only) Added ability to change extension icon action to show context menu
- Added ability to force toolbars to be always visible
- Added ability to hide collection counter badge
- Added ability to turn on notification when saving tabs from context menu (or extension icon action)
Addressed issues
- Efficiency and resilience of cloud storage was greatly improved
- Added multiple safeguards around cloud storage to make sure that user data can't be lost
- Added ability to disable cloud storage for collections (extension settings will still use cloud storage)
- Tab thumbnails now use Opengraph previews as well as tab captures as a fallback
- Addressed several issues regarding saved or opened tabs being blank