Brave Browser for Android removes support for Tab Stack view

Brave Browser for Android was updated to the version 1.36.112 recently. The latest version of the app removed the Tab Stack view and instead forces the grid layout as the only way to switch between tabs.

The screenshot above shows stacked tabs (cascading view) in Brave Browser in an older version of the app.

And this is what the new grid layout looks like in the current version of the browser.

Firefox users may remember that the grid view was added to the mobile version of the browser in version 84, which was released in December 2020. As a Firefox user, I never really liked the grid layout or inactive tabs. It’s a horrible way to navigate and manage tabs, which is why I use the list view. Although it doesn’t look as good as the stacked tabs, it’s better than the grid view.

Why do browser developers keep pushing grid view as the best option for tabs? Mobile devices have small screens and therefore can only display a limited number of cards at a time, which means the user must scroll through a longer list of tabs than in the stacked view.

This problem started about a year ago, when Google Chrome v88 introduced Grid View for tabs. Users had the option to disable it by changing a preference, that didn’t last long as Google removed the option to disable tab groups when Chrome 91 was rolled out.

The Brave browser, on the other hand, used to support it until the latest update. If you still have an older version of the app, go to brave://flags and look for Tab Grid Layout and Tab Groups. Tap the dropdown menu and change the values ​​of each flag from default to disabled. This used to disable the grid view and bring back the nice tab stack mode. But not anymore, although the flags exist, modifying them does nothing.

The Chromium open source project is the reason for this change. I’m not defending Brave, I’m just pointing out where the change started. Since Brave Browser is based on the same source code, it also removed that feature from the latest version. The app’s appearance page no longer has the option to disable tab groups, which probably explains why editing the flag doesn’t work, the old view mode doesn’t exist.

The brave users are furious at the change and have raised their pitchforks on the app. GitHub repository, the official community forums, and also raised concerns about the grid layout on Reddit.

In a way, I’m glad that Firefox offers the list view as an option for the user. Vivaldi users can choose to use a tab bar, but it’s not exactly as easy to use as a stack of tabs, and the app’s tab switcher uses the same grid view as Chromium-based browsers.

If you really want to disable tab groups in Brave browser, there is a solution. I really don’t recommend it as it involves downgrading the browser to an older version as it could put your data at risk due to security issues that were fixed in later versions. If you don’t mind that, download a beta version APK of Brave Browser from a few weeks ago. eg Beta 1.36.104.

Install the app, open the app settings page and go to the Appearance section. Toggle the option labeled “Tab Groups” to disable it. You will need to restart the app to get the tab stacking feature back.

Do you like tab stacks or grid view in mobile browsers?

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