Many users reporting it's too easy to click on the "dead zone" above tabs after new design

[Brave-Matt]

Description

Large number of users are saying that they are constantly clicking in the "dead zone" that appears above a tab after the new horizontal tabs implementation:

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/7bc70e00-13a1-4ae7-8ee2-debab7dc7d3a

It is worth noting that enabling or disabling the #brave-horizontal-tabs-update appears to have different effects for some users. Some users report that the issue with the "dead zone" only occurs with the flag enabled:

I have to add that I only have this behaviour when i have the flag " Updated horizontal tabs" set to disabled under brave://flags. So for now I have set it to default in order be be more productive today. But please note that I do not like this design and would prefer to re-disable this option.

Other users still encounter the issue disabled or enabled:

yupp, happening here even with the flag for “new horizontal tab design” disabled.

Setting aesthetics aside entirely, I would suggest we make the tab design optional (surface flag to settings) or at minimum, expand the tabs clickable vertically to go all the way to the top of the window, since most people aren't clicking above tabs to move the window anyway.

Steps to reproduce

1. Have new tab design
2. Accidentally click in dead zone above tabs.

Actual result

Many users failing to click tab.

Expected result

Not clicking on the dead zone

Reproduces how often

Easily reproduced

Brave version (brave://version info)

1.68.128

Channel information

• [X] release (stable)
• [X] beta
• [X] nightly

Reproducibility

• [ ] with Brave Shields disabled
• [ ] with Brave Rewards disabled
• [ ] in the latest version of Chrome

Miscellaneous information

User reports: https://community.brave.com/t/new-update-changed-tab-shape/559629/5 https://www.reddit.com/r/brave_browser/comments/1eb8swb/what_fresh_hell_is_this/ https://www.reddit.com/r/brave_browser/comments/1eceeco/how_to_revert_to_old_tab_style/ https://www.reddit.com/r/brave_browser/comments/1ec437z/brave_updated_horizontal_tabs_design_doesnt_work/ https://www.reddit.com/r/brave_browser/comments/1ebwkkd/im_glad_i_use_vertical_tabs/

[rjrapps]

Hello there! Software engineer here who has this complaint. This can be easily reproduced with:

• A Windows machine with the Windows taskbar set to bottom
• Maximizing the Brave browser window

(I'm sure it can also be reproduced on Linux and maybe even Mac, I just haven't confirmed that for myself.)

Open a new tab, and simply move your mouse all the way to the topmost pixel of the screen. You can even attempt to move it further up (Windows should stop you from moving the mouse higher than the window, unless you have another monitor set to be above the current one). It should look like this:

In the previous design, the tab was under the mouse here, and we would be able to interact with it from the very topmost pixel. In this design, that doesn't happen anymore. It probably sounds ridiculous if this isn't part of your everyday workflow, but it's really infuriating for those of us it affects.

Thanks for considering this!

[snowbound]

This is happening multiple times every day with me on Win10 27" monitor.

[amusedmonkey00]

VERY disruptive to workflow. Many have developed the muscle memory of moving the mouse to the very top of the screen to select a tab in maximized windows.

Note: This is made worse by themes that don't have a clear visual separation between the top of the tab and the dead zone, which include default themes, because it requires to mentally redrawing the upper tab border and then make sure to click under it. It's especially bad when there are many tabs. In my particular case, this has made the browser nearly unusable because about 80% of the clicks have to be "reclicked".

[Fofeee]

The problem is that disabling the new design in flags no longer does anything. Just fix that!

[TheSayk]

Pls make it so that there is no dead space at the very top of a tab. This is extremely annoying. Many people have developed years of muscle memory of clicking at the very top of tabs.

[tcaivano]

I also created an issue for this earlier today: https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/issues/40031

[DimK19]

Please undo this change, it is indeed extremely disruptive to those of us who are used to switching tabs in this specific manner. Also, if you could implement a way to opt out of every future ui update forever, that would be highly appreciated. Thanks.

[aqibtalib]

i agree with people here, would like a fix or option

[Angus-Carr]

There shouldn't even BE any deadspace above the tabs, the whole point of them is to flick the cursor up and select which one. Even a single pixel gap breaks this functionality.

I cannot believe Brave Browser's internet janitor actually insulted the userbase over this issue lmao.

[Rubeast]

Just wanted to add my findings.

You wrote:

Steps to reproduce

1. Have new tab design
2. Accidentally click in dead zone above tabs.

For me it is:

1. Have new tab design disabled
2. Accidentally click in dead zone above tabs.

---

When the flag is disabled my tabs look like this and I have the dead zone:

---

BUT when the flag is enabled or default my tabs look like this and I DONT have the dead zone (the border above the tab is also seen as part of the tab here):

---

[TheSayk]

Until 10-12 hours ago, i used to have dead space above tabs regardless of if i had "brave://flags/#brave-horizontal-tabs-update" enabled/default or disabled, but now i don't have dead space above tabs when i have "brave://flags/#brave-horizontal-tabs-update" enabled/default.

[jacobhokanson]

For me it is:

1. Have new tab design disabled
2. Accidentally click in dead zone above tabs.

+1 to this. With #brave-horizontal-tabs-update set to Default or Enabled, the issue is not reproducible for me.

With the flag set to Disabled, it happens when clicking against the top pixel of the screen in maximized window.

[PT-64]

I'm with the others, the dead space is really annoying. The habit people have had for years is gone. Have the pinned tabs got wider? They seem to take up more space on my tabs bar than a few days ago..

Do developers consider the affects these changes could have on neurodivergent people? I know a guy who now refuses to use his computer due him seeing it as a trigger due to design changes he couldn't cope with. Dead spaces were just one part, but rounded corners were a visual monstrosity and he couldn't accept the gaps they create. He used Firefox and hated a change, but they offered a setting for classic tabs. Then they made a huge change with rounded tabs, floating tabs etc, and he had a meltdown. Like me, he really couldn't cope with the mess of the design. I moved to Opera and recommended it. He was cool with it, but then came Opera One. Rounded corners, messy tabs, dead spaces. He had such a serious meltdown as it made no sense in the way his brain works. For me there was just a lot of frustration, some swearing, and then i quit and came to Brave. For him it was now a trigger so he can't use his computer. To me, this is quite serious. Months later, when he was well settled, we talked about the design issues. He said, with an ironic smile, that people who think you should have rounded corners on squares don't have brains that work properly. To him, corners are square, they fit and don't leave awkward gaps like the rounded corners. It bugs him too much, and it bugs me. These designs are why i ended up using Brave. Now i feel i'll be pushed from here too.

There are those who will laugh at this, but for some people this really is serious.

For context, i support adults with special needs and serious behavioural issues, and was nearly killed due to a minor issue that got out of hand. Please offer a way to keep proper tabs, not these weird monstrosities.

[nintendork07]

not happening for me anymore with the flag set to default/enabled on windows. however, with the flag disabled the deadzone and misclicks are still there.

really not a fan of the floating tab design look with the flag enabled to be honest. it looks out of place and the gap below the tab shouldn't be there at all.

really would rather have the default tab appearance with no deadzone please.

[sd-ditoy]

My main issue with the new design it the amount height that is uses for no apparent benefit.

Current design:

This could still be achieved at a much smaller size that adheres to the windows title bar size and would have no negative effect. Here's a mockup:

[zenparsing]

@sd-ditoy A new flag for a "compact horizontal tabs" mode will be coming to Nightly soon. https://github.com/brave/brave-core/pull/24876

[amusedmonkey00]

really not a fan of the floating tab design look with the flag enabled to be honest. it looks out of place and the gap below the tab shouldn't be there at all.

really would rather have the default tab appearance with no deadzone please.

Me neither. Bubble tabs are not only visually unappealing, but for me, there is a certain brain disconnect that happens when I look at the gap below the floating tab header. I can't connect an active tab page with its active bubble header because it's not connected to the page. It's hard to explain. They look more like on/off switch buttons than tab headers, I have to consciously mentally process it the entire time I'm using the browser. That's why the current deadzone is a deal breaker for me, because the bubble design is an even bigger deal breaker, I can't temporarily switch to that.

[Rubeast]

They are probably designed that way for the growing number of touchscreen users on laptop. Still don't like it though 😊

[RedEmber512]

Here to ask for the "updated horizontal tab design" flag's disable to work again. It currently does nothing to the horizontal tab layout, which is very frustrating. In case it helps any, I am one of the users getting dead space with the flag both enabled and disabled.

It would also be very nice if users had the option to change between the old square tabs and the new rounded tabs in settings > appearance > tabs instead. It may make the choice a little more accessible for users who don't know about flags.

[PT-64]

Here to ask for the "updated horizontal tab design" flag's disable to work again. It currently does nothing to the horizontal tab layout, which is very frustrating. In case it helps any, I am one of the users getting dead space with the flag both enabled and disabled.

It would also be very nice if users had the option to change between the old square tabs and the new rounded tabs in settings > appearance > tabs instead. It may make the choice a little more accessible for users who don't know about flags.

Very much agree with having the option in settings. Although I know about flags, it was not something I thought of, and I'd not really know what to put in without searching first. Give me a simple setting and I'll use the square tabs forever and a day.

[megnu]

I was also left with dead zone above tabs with the #brave-horizontal-tabs-update flag enabled on both Windows 11 and Linux machines. I also got that smushed appearance with the update. So, I disabled the flag and no more dead zone. However, the new "button" tabs have become the bane of my existence. I feel disoriented every time I need to switch tabs. Please consider maintaining the classic square tab design, or something similar that's not a button.

[superole]

You should give users more control over the appearance. In Vivaldi for instance there is a simple theme setting where users can set just how they want their corners, from 0 ("square" if you like, and yes, it works with tabgroups) to 14. And it applies to other UI-elements as well not just tabs. The best part is: With such a setting, You will not have to worry about square or rounded corners ever again! And all your users get exactly the look and feel that they think is the best. 4Ever. How awesome is that?

[davidmurdoch]

Looks like a regression, per https://community.brave.com/t/the-space-at-the-top-of-the-tabs-after-the-new-update-on-brave-nightly-is-mad-annoying/509763

[Rachdingue]

Can confirm that now with the horizontal tabs design flag enabled the dead pixels on top are gone. But I always had it enabled and switched off and on 3 weeks ago and the issue didn't fix. Now it does which is good for me

[Rubeast]

Can confirm that now with the horizontal tabs design flag enabled the dead pixels on top are gone. But I always had it enabled and switched off and on 3 weeks ago and the issue didn't fix. Now it does which is good for me

Which version of Brave are you running? For me it still does not work in the lastest public release (Version 1.68.141 Chromium: 127.0.6533.120)

[PT-64]

Can confirm that now with the horizontal tabs design flag enabled the dead pixels on top are gone. But I always had it enabled and switched off and on 3 weeks ago and the issue didn't fix. Now it does which is good for me

The dead pixels are still there for me on the latest update.

[leo-koester]

Brave is up to date Version 1.69.160 Chromium: 128.0.6613.114 (Official Build) (64-bit)

Still the same ugly, misplaced tab.

[Rubeast]

The tabs are still ugly, but the dead space is at least gone. Which was the point of this topic.

I went back to Firefox since chromium is getting too cocky with redesigning the internet. They have no right to be this influential about my decisions. Not many good non-chromium options available unfortunately...

[leo-koester]

The tabs are still ugly, but the dead space is at least gone. Which was the point of this topic.

If so, it was opened wrong, as the complaint is about the tab design as a whole. https://community.brave.com/t/new-update-changed-tab-shape/559629/23