Browsers and Mail Turn On or Off Sleeping Tabs in Microsoft Edge

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Microsoft_Edge_banner.png

This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off sleeping tabs in Microsoft Edge for your account or all users in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

The Microsoft Edge web browser is based on Chromium and was released on January 15, 2020. It is compatible with all supported versions of Windows, and macOS. With speed, performance, best in class compatibility for websites and extensions, and built-in privacy and security features.

The sleeping tabs feature in Microsoft Edge makes background tabs sleep after two hours of inactivity by default in order to free up resources for active tabs, new tabs, and other applications on your device. Sleeping tabs will fade to indicate they’ve released resources. To resume a sleeping tab, click/tap on it like a normal tab. The tab will un-fade and your content will be immediately available.

Starting with Microsoft Edge 153.0.4234.32+, the fading tab experience will be removed from the Microsoft Edge browser. The Fade inactive tabs setting will no longer be available in edge://settings/system/managePerformance and users will no longer see tabs fade. Note: This is a controlled feature rollout. If you don't see this change, check back as Microsoft continues the rollout.


To help you stay on task and limit potential compatibility issues, the following activities prevent sites from going to sleep:
  • The page is currently visible (active tab)
  • The page is currently holding a Web Lock or an IndexedDB transaction
  • The page is sharing its BrowsingInstance with another page
  • The page is your company’s internal (intranet) site
  • The page is currently being inspected by DevTools
  • The page is currently playing audio
  • The page is currently capturing a window or screen
  • The page is currently capturing user media (webcam, microphone, etc)
  • The page is currently being mirrored (casting, etc)
  • The page is on the user’s block list in Settings
  • The page is currently using WebUSB
References:

Learn about performance features in Microsoft Edge | Microsoft Support

Learn about performance features in Microsoft Edge, such as sleeping tabs, efficiency mode, and performance detector.
support.microsoft.com support.microsoft.com
blogs.windows.com

Sleeping Tabs in Microsoft Edge: Delivering better browser performance

Note: We’re in the process of deploying this feature starting with today's release of Beta 88, so it might be a little while before you see it in your channel and build. New to sleeping tabs? Read more in
blogs.windows.com blogs.windows.com

Sleeping tabs FAQ | Microsoft Community Hub

What is sleeping tabs? To improve memory and CPU utilization of the browser, we've developed a feature called sleeping tabs. To free up...
techcommunity.microsoft.com techcommunity.microsoft.com



Contents

  • Option One: Turn On or Off Sleeping Tabs in Microsoft Edge for Current User from Settings
  • Option Two: Turn On or Off Sleeping Tabs in Microsoft Edge for All Users using REG file




Option One

Turn On or Off Sleeping Tabs in Microsoft Edge for Current User from Settings


1 Open Microsoft Edge.

2 Click/tap on the Settings and more (3 dots) button, and click/tap on Settings. (see screenshot below)

Microsoft_Edge_settings.png

3 Click/tap on System and performance in the left pane, and click/tap on Performance in the right pane. (see screenshot below)

If you do not see a left pane, then either click/tap on the 3 bars menu button towards the top left OR widen the horizontal borders of the Microsoft Edge window until you do.


Microsoft_Edge_sleeping_tabs-1.webp

4 Under Memory, turn on (default) or off Automatically put tabs to sleep for what you want. (see screenshots below)

Microsoft_Edge_sleeping_tabs-2.webp
Microsoft_Edge_sleeping_tabs-3.webp






Option Two

Turn On or Off Sleeping Tabs in Microsoft Edge for All Users using using REG file


You must be signed in as an administrator to use this option.

This option uses the SleepingTabsEnabled policy for Microsoft Edge.


1 Do step 2 (Always on), step 3 (always off), or step 4 (default) below for what you want.

2 Always Turn On Sleeping Tabs in Microsoft Edge for All Users

This will override and gray out Option One.


A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the REG file below, and go to step 5 below.​

Always_turn_on_sleeping_tabs_in_Microsoft_Edge_for_all_users.reg​


(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code: 
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge]
"SleepingTabsEnabled"=dword:00000001

3 Always Turn Off Sleeping Tabs in Microsoft Edge for All Users

This will override and gray out Option One.


A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the REG file below, and go to step 5 below.​

Always_turn_off_sleeping_tabs_in_Microsoft_Edge_for_all_users.reg​


(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code: 
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge]
"SleepingTabsEnabled"=dword:00000000

4 Default User Choice to Turn On or Off Sleeping Tabs in Microsoft Edge

This is the default setting to allow using Option One.


A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the REG file below, and go to step 5 below.​

Default_user_choice_sleeping_tabs_in_Microsoft_Edge.reg​


(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code: 
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge]
"SleepingTabsEnabled"=-

5 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

6 If you have Smart App Control turned on, you will need to unblock the downloaded REG file.

7 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

8 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

9 If Microsoft Edge is currently open, then close and reopen Microsoft Edge to apply.

10 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink


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Last edited:
Click to expand...
@Brink can you prevent just a certain tab from sleeping instead of disabling the entire feature globally ?


edit: I noticed there is a setting in edge to achieve a similar result "never put these sites to sleep"......sure, it is better to be able to do this on a singular tab, but this solution will do for now.
 

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AsadAlrafidain said:
@Brink can you prevent just a certain tab from sleeping instead of disabling the entire feature globally ?


edit: I noticed there is a setting in edge to achieve a similar result "never put these sites to sleep"......sure, it is better to be able to do this on a singular tab, but this solution will do for now.
Click to expand...

Correct. That's the only workaround that I'm aware of as well. :alien:

www.elevenforum.com

Add and Remove Sites from Sleeping Tabs Exclude List in Microsoft Edge

This tutorial will show you how to add and remove sites on an exclude list to the never put these sites to sleep in Microsoft Edge for your account or all users in Windows 10 and Windows 11. The Microsoft Edge web browser is based on Chromium and was released on January 15, 2020. It is...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
 

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