Four VS Code windows. Three Cmd+Tab clicks to get to the right one. Sound familiar?
Native Tabs groups all your VS Code windows into a single tabbed interface — one window, all your projects, a keyboard shortcut to move between them.
macOS only. Native Tabs is a macOS feature and won’t appear on Windows or Linux.
Notice how each project is in a different tab:
How to set up Native Tabs
Add this to your settings.json:
"window.nativeTabs": true
Or search for “Native Tabs” in Settings and toggle it on.
Restart VS Code.
How to move between Native Tabs
Add these to your keybindings.json to move between tabs and create new ones without touching the mouse:
[
{
"key": "ctrl+shift+h",
"command": "workbench.action.showPreviousWindowTab",
"when": "!terminalFocus"
},
{
"key": "ctrl+shift+l",
"command": "workbench.action.showNextWindowTab",
"when": "!terminalFocus"
},
{
"key": "ctrl+shift+t",
"command": "workbench.action.newWindowTab"
}
]
These are my bindings — use whatever feels natural to you.
That’s the full setup. Here’s what I pair it with:
Extensions that pair well with this workflow
Native Tabs organizes your windows — these two handle what happens inside them:
Point it at your code directories, switch to any project instantly from the command palette. No Finder, no terminal.
Adds inline blame and file history to the editor toolbar. Hover any line to see who wrote it, the commit message, and a link to the PR.
Note: Unfortunately, Native Tabs is only available on macOS. =/
