Forum Discussion
Eleanor_Huynh
Microsoft
Sep 23, 2020Sleeping tabs FAQ
What is sleeping tabs?
To improve memory and CPU utilization of the browser, we've developed a feature called sleeping tabs.
To free up resources for active tabs, new tabs, and other applications on your device, sleeping tabs in Microsoft Edge makes background tabs “go to sleep” after 2 hours of inactivity. You can adjust the time interval in Settings by going to edge://settings/system. Sleeping tabs will fade to indicate they’ve released resources. To resume a sleeping tab, click on it like a normal tab. The tab will un-fade and your content will be there immediately.
What about the sites I never want to sleep?
To keep you in your flow, we have built in heuristics to detect tabs doing important activity in the background and prevent these tabs from sleeping. You can also add sites you never want to sleep to a block list in Settings by going to edge://settings/system.
What activities prevent a site from going to sleep?
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
We will continue to evolve this list as needed.
How does the sleeping tabs technology work?
Sleeping tabs builds upon the core of Chromium’s “freezing” technology. Freezing pauses a tab’s script timers, minimizing CPU usage and frees up the operating system to reuse the memory for other open tabs, new tabs, or system applications.
What is the difference between a sleeping tab and a discarded tab?
For a sleeping tab, the page is simply "paused", allowing Microsoft Edge to release some system resources. Specifically, sleeping minimizes the CPU usage to the bare minimum which helps reduce the battery consumption as well as release some of the memory. The advantage of sleeping a tab is that going back to it again is very fast and imperceptible.
A tab can also be discarded. When a tab is discarded, the content of the page is completely thrown away, allowing all of the resources (CPU, memory) to be released. The downside here is that the page needs to be fully reloaded when going back to that tab.
What sleeping tabs group policies will enterprises get?
- Enable and disable the feature all-up
- Manage the time before an inactive tab goes to sleep
- Manage which sites should be blocked from going to sleep
These can be both mandatory or recommended group policies. If it’s a recommended group policy, IT admins will have the ability to set the default behavior that their users can change later, if they wish.
Why do others see the feature, but I do not?
We're in the process of deploying this feature, so it may be a little while before you see it in your respective channel and build.
Can I turn off sleeping tabs?
Yes, you can do this by toggling off in Settings under edge://settings/system.
Can I change the amount of time before a tab goes to sleep?
Yes, you can do this by changing the time interval in Settings under edge://settings/system.
How do I send feedback?
It’s possible some sites might not work as expected after they go to sleep. We’ve built heuristics to detect these scenarios and prevent those tabs from sleeping to keep you in your flow. We’re eager to get your feedback on sleeping tabs. If you experience a tab that doesn’t wake up as you expected, please refresh the page and let us know by pressing Alt+Shift+I on a Windows device or going to Settings and more … > Help and feedback > Send feedback.
You can also discuss your experience here on the Microsoft Edge Insider forums and Twitter, or send us your feedback through the browser!
- The Microsoft Edge Product Team
- isidrocoCopper ContributorHow can this be enabled/disabled and timeout be set from a batch or registry file?
- Salty_BiscuitCopper ContributorI love the sleeping tabs, but hate the notification pop-up telling me that a tab is sleeping and saving xx% (xx% of what?). How do I turn the stupid and annoying notification popup for each sleeping tab off but keep the tabs asleep? It's really distracting and must itself use some power.
- philtasticCopper ContributorYou can remove specific site notifications, or stop them altogether in the Settings under Site Permissions > Notifications.
- red_tomatoCopper Contributor
Eleanor_Huynh hi there, ever since I updated to Version 93.0.961.52 (Official build) (x86_64) sleeping tabs is not longer working nor can I find it on edge://flags. THe Sleeping tabs setting is on but it just never put any tabs to sleep which is quite frustrating. Is it because I am using it on Mac?
- Spark780Copper ContributorI'm finding it frustrating that turning sleeping tabs off does not stop tabs from completely reloading at random.
Turning sleeping tabs on and setting the sleep time to 12 hours, does not stop them from sleeping within minutes.
Adding a site to the exception list does not stop the tabs from going to sleep.
Sleeping tabs often completely refresh upon being re-opened.
My only workaround seems to be opening my most sensitive tabs in their own window.
This concept is ruining mult-tab browsing by not working as advertised. Why can't I just keep several tabs open in a window and let them run. If I'm low on resources, I'd love the option to take control myself by simply killing the tab I don't need. - Dennis5mileSilver ContributorAny info or word on what happened to the selection of "Immediately" for putting tabs to sleep? It has been gone for some time now and not one word on if it is permanently gone, or just being adjusted or going to be added to the current selections list....... Immediately worked extremely well for me and I am not sure why there is no response as to what happen to the choice. The flags are no longer in the flags area so it is not a choice one can make to use.
Is there anyone else that used the flag and or choice "Immediately" and find it gone for them as well?
Dennis5mile- TWiemanCopper Contributor
Dennis5mile I'm on Stable 90.0.818.49, and I do see the flag: edge://flags/#edge-sleeping-tabs-immediate-timeout. Note that I have not tried using it, though.
- Dennis5mileSilver ContributorI'm on Canary, Version 92.0.871.0 (Official build) canary (64-bit). And it is nowhere in this version or the last maybe 14 versions of Canary... Keep in mind that Canary gets updated daily.
Dennis5mile
- philtasticCopper ContributorSome feature requests for sleeping tabs:
- Option to disable putting pinned tabs to sleep
- Option to adjust fade level of icons on sleeping tabs (accessibility issue)
- Tab right click commands:
- Put this tab to sleep
- Put all other tabs to sleep
- Wake up all sleeping tabs
Re: not putting pinned tabs to sleep - Yes, I know there is an option to whitelist certain URLs, but that requires a lot more work than just not putting pinned tabs to sleep. Also, the whole point of pinned tabs is that they are more important, and should always be immediately accessible. - tscul69Copper Contributor
I have just seen an update made to Edge and it is version Version 88.0.705.68 (Official build) (64-bit). Yet sleeping tabs does not work. It is very confusing to see features identified in Edge that do not work. Why does Microsoft take this approach?
tscul69 wrote:I have just seen an update made to Edge and it is version Version 88.0.705.68 (Official build) (64-bit). Yet sleeping tabs does not work. It is very confusing to see features identified in Edge that do not work. Why does Microsoft take this approach?
What do you mean it doesn't work? any more info you can provide?
or maybe you mean you don't have sleeping tabs feature in Edge settings? edge://settings/system
- For anyone using Great suspender extension, it's been identified to have malware and is currently blocked by Chrome web store
more info:
https://www.windowscentral.com/great-suspender-gets-pulled-chrome-web-store- RamouzBrass ContributorI just use Auto Tab Discard and set it to manually discard only. Meaning, I control when I want to discard a tab.
Does the sleeping tabs feature of Edge have the ability for us to only manual freeze? I don't want automatic freezing since I deal with lots of websites for customers, hosting, important work, etc.
Ramouz wrote:
I just use Auto Tab Discard and set it to manually discard only. Meaning, I control when I want to discard a tab.
Does the sleeping tabs feature of Edge have the ability for us to only manual freeze? I don't want automatic freezing since I deal with lots of websites for customers, hosting, important work, etc.Hi,
there is currently no way to manually put tabs to sleep but you can suggest that feature using the feedback button on Edge (shortcut on Windows: Alt + Shift + i )
there is an option where you can exclude websites from going to sleep
edge://settings/system
Sleeping tabs watches tab behaviors and only puts tabs to sleep where necessary, for example if you are listening to Spotify web on the background or YouTube video playing in a non-active tab, they don't go to sleep.
- jayanth_jagaCopper Contributor
Sleeping Tabs Feature is not working in my browser. I turned on the feature, but it's not working.
jayanth_jaga wrote:Sleeping Tabs Feature is not working in my browser. I turned on the feature, but it's not working.
What did you turn on exactly and what is your browser version and channel? which OS ?
what is the timer set to?
- jayanth_jagaCopper Contributor
I switched on Sleeping tabs feature in my pc, and the timer is set to 5 minutes. But it's not working. I'm using Edge beta version 88.0.705.56 in my Windows PC. Hope this helps.
- EricOfFcoaCopper Contributor
As of Edge Stable 88.0.705.56, we're not seeing Sleeping Tabs in settings (edge://settings/system) unless enabled via the Experimental Flags.
PS- We do have a couple GPOs enabled, but clearing them didn't change the situation.
- EricOfFcoaCopper Contributor
- jayanth_jagaCopper Contributor
You need to enable sleeping tabs feature in edge://flags,then only it will show the feature for you.