How to disable Sets on Windows 10

If you don't find use for Sets on Windows 10, you can use this guide to disable the experience using Group Policy.

Disabling Sets on Windows 10
Disabling Sets on Windows 10

Sets in a new feature that Microsoft is building into Windows 10, and it allows you to group apps, documents, and web pages into tabs similar to tabs on a browser.

While working on a project typically users keep multiple tabs in the same window and they switch between them as needed. The same idea is what Microsoft is envisioning with Sets, but with the difference that tabs will extend to all applications. For example, using this tab experience, you can start working on a Word document, while looking into additional content you bring to your project from OneNote or a web page using the same window.

Although Sets a useful feature, it might not be something for everyone. If you don’t to have tabs in apps, Windows 10 includes an option to disable it in the Settings app.

In this guide, we’ll learn the steps to disable Sets (tabs for apps and websites) on Windows 10.

How to disable Sets using Settings on Windows 10

If you don’t find Sets a useful feature, you can disable the experience using the settings, but this only on Windows 10 build 17661 or earlier. 

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Click on System.

  3. Click on Multitasking.

  4. Under “Tabs in apps,” clear the Allow new tabs to be created in my windows option.

    Disable Tabs in apps (Sets) on Windows 10
    Disable Tabs in apps (Sets) on Windows 10
  5. Restart your computer to apply the changes

Once you’ve completed the steps, tabs in apps will be disabled, and you’ll be back into the more traditional experience without the ability to group related windows.

If you don’t see the “Tabs in apps” section in the Settings app, then you don’t have Sets in your installation.

How to disable Sets using Group Policy on Windows 10

Starting Windows 10 build 17666, you can no longer disable or enable Sets using the Settings app, instead you need to use the Local Group Policy editor on Windows 10 Pro.

  1. Use the Windows Key + R keyboard shortcut open the Run command, type gpedit.msc and hit Enter to open the Local Group Policy Editor.

  2. Browse the following path:

    Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Sets Policy
  3. On the right side, and double-click the Turn off Sets setting.

    Sets Policies on Windows 10 Local Group Policy
    Sets Policies on Windows 10 Local Group Policy
  4. Select the Enabled option.

    Turn off Sets using policy
    Turn off Sets using policy
  5. Click Apply.

  6. Click OK.

After completing the steps, restart your computer to apply the settings and disable Sets on Windows 10.

This feature is currently in the early days available only to a small set of users starting with Windows 10 build 17063, and it’s a new experience expected to arrive before the end of 2018.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].