Discussion: Add ability to close tabs via double-click

[MissyQ]

Hey Insiders, thanks for your continued feedback to help us improve Microsoft Edge! Recently we have noticed a growing trend in requests to support double clicking on a tab to close it. Even just receiving this feedback is helpful in highlighting the importance of efficiency and ease when managing and closing tabs, and also communicates a user problem that the tab close button can sometimes be difficult to interact with quickly.

As for the best way to address this user problem, we’d like to get additional context from you on the benefits and risks of different options. While double clicking on a tab can indeed be a very easy and quick way to close a tab, it also comes with the risk that if users are quickly clicking to switch between tabs, they might accidentally close a tab unintentionally by clicking on one twice. Given accidentally closing tabs is another top pain point users have shared with us, we want to be especially careful that we aren’t making that problem worse. We also wanted to share that another existing mouse-centric method for quickly closing a tab with a single click is to middle (mouse-wheel) click on a tab, which it could be argued is easier and faster than double clicking, though of course not everyone has a mouse that supports middle (mouse-wheel) click.

Given the potential risks of double clicking and the alternative middle click solution discussed here, please let us know if and why you feel double clicking is a superior method. We're also curious to know if you have any additional solutions to the problem of easily and quickly closing a tab that haven’t been discussed and avoid some of the risks discussed here. Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions, we couldn't do this without you! 

- The Microsoft Edge Team

[#2]

I fully support HotCokeX!
We are all in a hurry and do not want to waste precious time!
Double-clicking is unacceptable!
Please do not enter this as a solution

[#3]

Tak popieram duży znak X
Dobry pomysł !

[#4]

Bardzo dobre Rozwiązanie duży X

[#5]

Tak popieram !

Doskonale jestem tu od 11 02 2021 roku - widzę że warto tu być !

[#6]

Każda sekunda się liczy w życiu a to podwójne kliknięcie to strata czasu !

[#7]

Tak popieram
dziękuję bardzo mam też taki pogląd !

[#8]

Bardzo dobre uzasadnienie !
Popieram !

[#9]

Hello!
Every move of the finger, a hand that would be additional is a waste of time for me!
Please see how Android does it - there no one would even suggest such ideas! But touch support is another matter, but it's decided by the user's response time, and then the site - these reactions add up and are too long in case of double click!

[#10]

Or maybe we can close the tab via Ctrl+right-click on the tab

[#11]

So
I use accessibility - I have all the elements enlarged due to productivity, there are no mistakes in applying icons and context and many random mistakes.
But all the bars I have = hide and hover the cursor shows the toolbar = I would like to default in Edge such application .
certainly does not need to close tabs for 2 clicks! But the additional feature that will make this possible is a very reasonable idea - providing more options - giving the user a choice in New Edge     
Thank you very much

[#12]

1. I'm a power browser user, having dozens of Tabs open often, and the various browsers I've used, I've NEVER had a problem with moving between tabs, etc., and "accidentally" closing them. It's just a non-issue. Though, it DOES sometimes happen when I'm trying to use my "Left-Hand" to use my mouse, in which I don't have any fine control. People can change their mouse sensitivity and functions, and also 360Chrome (the browser I use) has some features related to mouse controls and opening Tabs that can address this issue.

2. Instead of stressing about accidentally closing Tabs, simply provide people the OPTIONS in Settings on "how" they want to close Tabs.
- Double-Click
- Right Click
- Click on X
etc.

If you want to know the BEST browser that has many features modern browsers should have, see "360Chrome"... It's a Chinese browser that gives you control.
I won't use a browser unless it...
1. Gives me a "Middle-Tab Bar" option (this is something you need to also add).
2. Drag-and-Drop to Open a New Tab Search or Open Links.
3. Double-Click to close tabs...
4. Restore last page button, and have a drop-down history, and also when it restores the last page, it also restores the "back" browsing history, so you can hit the back button on the restored page.
5. Control how Tabs Open and Close. I like them to function a certain way.
6. Oh, and also control how Favorites/Bookmarks open, in New tabs.
See 360Chrome for all the options that should be in settings.

These are the MOST important things I need in a modern browser. I got spoiled with them with the old "Maxthon Classic". The later Maxthon when it became a standalone lost the middle-tab bar, which is why I ended up going to 360Chrome, it was the only browser that had ALL of the other primary features.

Anyway, look in 360Chrome's SETTINGS page, and just duplicate MOST of what it does, and you will have a base browser that fits most needs and preferences, not having to install extensions for what I consider BASIC functionality, aka the above list of things.

Please add most of 360Chromes Settings Options to Edge, and I will actually switch...

Thanks...

[#13]

People in every country have different habits. Maybe you think it's useless, but Chinese people like it very much. After all, it's very convenient. In fact, it may not be completely changed. A switch can be added to meet the needs of people of all countries.

[#14]

@MissyQ 

Having read-though all the comments here there are a number of repeated suggestions I thought I'd summarise:

"I don't want / see the need for this feature"

(@HotCakeX, @Daniel00000, @Kam, @Colin, @AndrzejX)

My view: as long as it ships off-by-default, I can't see any-harm in adding it.

"I would like to see this added / considered"

(@altean, @DavidGB, @rjtiwari10, @ikjadoon, @edgesuggestions, @chriswong, @liftcube, @aiqinxuancai, @bqlxz2008, @kinmfer)

My view: clearly a number of users here would like it.  So, while not something I would use, if there is a demand for something so-simple, I can't see why-not.  It's hardly going to take much code to implement, or be difficult to maintain.

"Just use middle-click instead"
(@HotCakeX, @positron7120)

My view: while this is what I do, as a mouse-user, it's not always an option for touchpad-only users; nor to touchscreen-device users.  It may help the Edge team if they ask during feedback what type of devices users run Edge on so they can accommodate different needs.

"Make the X option on the tab bigger"
(@HotCakeX, @Gordon_Inman)

My view: assuming the Edge UI is the same-size when on a touchscreen-device then, yes, I'd agree that I'd find the X too-small also.  If you hover-over the X and observe the highlighted "hit-box" area around it, clearly there is room to make this area bigger.

[#15]

@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

[#16]

@MissyQ As a follow-up to someone's earlier suggestion, here's how it could look if you add "Close tab" and "Reopen closed tab" to the page right-click menu:

If you merge "back", "refresh" and "forward" into one row (as shown) then "close tab" and "reopen closed tab" can then occupy the slots where "forward" and "refresh" exist currently.  Thus not making the right-click menu any taller than it is currently

[#17]

@dftf-wip 

Witam!

Hello!

Thank you a lot of work I see in your posts!

I am against double-click because I do not use the mouse most often and I am every second valuable and the first thing I do on a new computer is to approve the mouse set to a single click and for me it is obvious!    

[#18]

there is an app for it

https://www.microsoft.com/store/productId/9N27WRS6LFRW

[#19]

@hereafter 

Thank you 

You will be able to see that it is not needed!

[#20]

@Deleted just a heads-up for friends who is still waiting for it.

Some people use middle clicks for some touchpads are very hard to do

[#21]

@MissyQ 

New Insider here, so I'm late to the party. Count me strongly opposed to "double-click to close" behavior.

I'm cross-platform (Mac / Win) and double-click has always been associated with "Open" for me--not close.

If anything, I would expect a double click on a tab to open it further (e.g., full-screen, as a new window). If it closed the tab, I would report it as a bug.

I'm having difficulty understanding why the standard right-click context menu and control-/command-W keyboard shortcut behaviors are insufficient. Menu selection does take more time (arguably double, or more), which could add up across many tabs; but it's the common and expected interaction pattern across products and platforms.

Assuming this is a case in which the click-"X"-to-close affordance is not available on the tab and a non-keyboard action is needed, the "shortest distance" to a solution would be to reintroduce the "X" to the tab, potentially on mouse-over / hover. This would allow keyboardless interaction while maintaining established and expected interaction patterns.

Ideally, a "condensed" tab (again assuming this is why the "X" is not available) would expand to show its name on hover, in addition to re-presenting the clickable "X"-to-close behavior.

Regarding the middle mouse button: Personally, I don't use the middle mouse button, just the scroll wheel. Professionally, from a UX and universal design / accessibility perspective, I have advised developers against expecting/requiring middle button use except for highly technical use cases (e.g., CAD, gaming) that have precedented widespread use. Browsing is far too common, shares too many patterns with operating systems and other increasingly-common tabbed software interfaces, and raises equipment concerns: not all users have three-button or gesture-enabled devices, trackpads may not be available in docked or desktop set-ups, and many middle mouse buttons--especially those combined with scroll wheels--present accessibility challenges.

I respectfully encourage looking at the underlying issue, identifying the standard cross-platform interaction / UI pattern for the desired behavior (closing a window/tab), and finding a way to reintroduce the standard pattern / affordance--rather than introducing a non-standard behavior for the ubiquitous double-click.