Discussion: Add ability to close tabs via double-click

MissyQ 

Then there are some standalone alternate proposals:

"Make right-click close a tab; to make the right-click menu appear, hold SHIFT or CONTROL while right-clicking" (@liftcube)

I think this ultimately would get too-confusing, not to mention if you SHIFT + right-click in some apps, such as in File Explorer on a file or folder, it is already a existing-convention that means "display some advanced menu-items that are usually hidden".  Just double-clicking would be simpler.

"How-about double- or triple-clicking on a webpage to make the tab close, to save going up to the tab?" (@edgesuggestions)

Double-clicking is used in text-selection to select an individual word; triple-click to select the entire paragraph that word is in.  I think this would therefore interfere with an existing convention.

"Add the ability to let the middle mouse button close a tab" (@hussain5416)

As far as I know, Edge has supported this since... well, forever.  Maybe on a non-touchscreen device it might be worth displaying this as a hint to introduce users to the fact it can be done?

"As the tabs change size, I can accidentally click on an X" (@rshupak)

When using a mouse, tabs don't change size until you move the mouse-pointer off the tab-strip.  But on a touchscreen device, I'd imagine this could be a genuine issue.  Maybe add an option to Edge to make it so tabs always remain at a fixed-size?

"Add an option to the right-click page menu to close the tab" (@boblinthewild)

Seems totally sensible to me (though I'd suggest adding "Reopen closed tab" to the right-click page menu alongside it, in case of accidental closures)

"How about click-and-hold to close instead-of double-click?" (@HotCakeX)

This would interfere with some accessibility settings:

• ClickLock: allows a user to drag without constantly holding-down the mouse-button; you hold it down until it locks, then let go, perform the drag, then press once to release the lock
• Narrator: as it reads-out each tab in an Edge window, I don't know if that may get classed as a held-down click internally.  If so, then a long page-title could make the browser close
• Eye-tracking: again, if a user were to stare at a tab in order to select it, or have Windows read-out the page title, would this be interpreted the same as a mouse-button being held-down internally?

And some devices:

• Some touchpad drivers also offer a feature similar to "ClickLock": on my own Synaptics touchpad, there are options for "double-tap and hold to lock into drag-mode".  On the second tap, you hold it down for about 2-3 seconds, and it then locks to drag-mode.  You tap once more to release.  So a user with this sort of setup may use it to try to drag an Edge tab, but find during the holding-down it closes