Save time
A few seconds each switch, dozens of switches a day. DocTabs turns every one into a single click and gives you that time back.
DocTabs
Every Word, Excel and PowerPoint file you have open. One click away.
Every time you switch files, you lose a few seconds and a bit of focus. Open the Window menu, scroll the list, hunt for the right window — do that dozens of times a day and it quietly drains your time and energy. With DocTabs, one click takes you straight to the file you need.
DocTabs is made for Mac and Windows. Open this page on your computer to download it.
Free forever. No subscription.macOS 13+Windows 10, 11
Why DocTabs
Small switches. Big difference.
You switch between documents more often than you think. Each switch is tiny, but over a whole day they add up and set the pace of your work.
Save energy
Digging through menus and hunting for windows slowly wears you down. With every file in sight, there’s nothing left to search for.
Get more done
Stay in your groove from the first file to the last. The less time you spend searching, the more time you have to actually create.
How it works
Three apps. One row of tabs.
Word, Excel and PowerPoint each keep their open files to themselves. DocTabs brings them all together in one row, so switching feels as easy as flipping pages in a single project.
Word
Got a contract, a report and a draft open all at once? DocTabs lines them all up in one row, so the one you need is just a click away.
Excel
Excel only puts tabs on the sheets inside one file. DocTabs gives every open Excel file its own tab, so jumping between them is easy.
PowerPoint
See the new and old versions of your deck and your templates side by side. Even right before you present, the file you need is easy to find.
Features
Less time finding. More time doing.
One click. The right window.
Click the tab of the file you need and it jumps right to the front. No digging through the Window menu or flipping through windows one by one. Just keep working.
Every file, by name.
Every file you open gets its own tab, all right in front of you. Two files called Report? No worries, DocTabs shows which folder each one is in.
Where was that saved?
Forgot where you saved a file? Double-click its tab and the × turns into a magnifying glass. Click it, and Finder or File Explorer opens the folder with your file already highlighted.
There when you need it.
Open Word, Excel or PowerPoint and the bar shows up on its own. Switch to another app and it quietly steps aside. There’s nothing to set up.
Pin it and keep it in view.
Copying numbers from a browser into Excel? Pin the bar and it stays on screen even when you switch apps, with your files still one click away. While pinned, it takes on the color of the Office app you last used.
Focus on one app.
Want to see only your Excel files, or everything in one place? It’s up to you. The menu even shows how many files each app has open.
Your order. Your way.
Drag your tabs into the order that suits your work, and DocTabs remembers it. Ready to close a file? Just click the × on its tab.
Place it anywhere on your screen.
Drag the bar wherever you like, and pull its edge to adjust the width. If it slips off the screen, it glides right back, so your first tab is always in view.
Out of the way in one click.
Need more room on your screen? Click « and the bar folds into a small DocTabs logo. When you need it again, click the logo and your tabs are back.
Your files stay yours.
DocTabs only looks at the names and locations of your files to show them as tabs. It never opens, changes or sends what’s inside. No account or password needed.
Launch at Login
Check for Updates Automatically
Check for Updates…
Anonymous usage data
Hide the bar
Reset Bar Position
9 languages
Support DocTabs…
Languages
In your own language.
DocTabs works in 9 languages. It follows your system’s language from the start, and you can pick your own from the menu anytime.
English
Deutsch
Español
Français
Монгол
Русский
日本語
한국어
简体中文
Everything included
Free forever. No subscription.
macOS · Windows · Word, Excel, PowerPoint
Free
One app is all you need for Word, Excel and PowerPoint, with as many tabs as you like. No paid extras, no hidden purchases — ever.
Your files stay yours.
Don’t worry — DocTabs only looks at the names and locations of your files to show them as tabs. It never opens, changes or sends what’s inside. Everything stays on your computer.
Word, Excel and PowerPoint, all in one place
See every file in one row, or one app at a time
Reorder, close, collapse, pin and resize as you like
Matches your system’s light or dark look
Works in 9 languages, or your system’s own
No account, no password
What you need
macOS 13+ or Windows 10, 11
Any Mac with Apple Silicon or Intel, or a 64-bit Windows PC
All you need is the Word, Excel or PowerPoint desktop app
Nothing to set up. On a Mac, just allow access once
No need to install anything extra in Office
Free forever. No subscription.
A few things to know.
Still have questions?
Get in touch
What is DocTabs?
DocTabs is an app for Mac and Windows, made for anyone who works with lots of Word, Excel and PowerPoint files at once. It lists every open document as a tab in one bar, and clicking a tab brings that file straight to the front. No more digging through menus and losing your train of thought.
Is it really free?
Yes. DocTabs is free and will stay free: no subscription, no trial, no in-app purchases. Use it for anything, on as many computers as you like. If it earns a place in your day, you can support its development: click the DocTabs icon in the menu bar or taskbar and choose Support DocTabs….
Why does it ask for permission on a Mac?
macOS asks for your permission whenever one app works with another. It’s a standard privacy safeguard. DocTabs uses it only to list your open documents, bring the window you pick to the front and close files from their tabs. If you skipped it, click Open Settings in the bar, or allow DocTabs in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Automation. Windows doesn’t ask for this, so there’s nothing to allow.
Does DocTabs read my files?
Don’t worry — DocTabs only looks at the names and locations of your files to show them as tabs. It never opens, changes or sends what’s inside. Everything stays on your computer.
Does DocTabs collect data about me?
No personal data, ever. Once a day DocTabs sends an anonymous “active” signal so we can count how many people use it. It holds only a random install ID, the app and system versions and the app language. It never includes file names or contents, and your IP address is not stored. To turn it off, click the DocTabs icon in the menu bar or taskbar and choose Settings → Share Anonymous Usage Data.
Why does the bar disappear when I switch apps?
The bar shows up while you work in Word, Excel or PowerPoint and steps aside when you move to another app, so it never gets in your way. Want it everywhere? Click the pin button (Always Show) on the bar, and it stays on screen whichever app you switch to.
What if the bar doesn’t show up at all?
The bar normally appears only while Word, Excel or PowerPoint is in front, so switch to one of them first. Still nothing? Click the DocTabs icon in the menu bar or taskbar and choose Show Bar or Reset Bar Position. If the bar is folded into a small logo, click the logo and your tabs are back. On Windows, the icon may be tucked behind the ^ arrow next to the clock. If it isn’t there either, open DocTabs again from the Applications folder on a Mac, or the Start menu on Windows.
If I close a file from its tab, will I lose unsaved changes?
No need to worry. If the file has unsaved changes, Word, Excel or PowerPoint asks whether to save them, just as usual.
Do I need to open DocTabs every time I start my computer?
Not if you set it once. Click the DocTabs icon in the menu bar or taskbar and turn on Settings → Launch at Login. DocTabs will then open by itself every time you log in.
Which languages does DocTabs work in?
Nine: English, German, Spanish, French, Mongolian, Russian, Japanese, Korean and Simplified Chinese. By default it follows your system’s language. To pick one yourself, click the DocTabs icon in the menu bar or taskbar and choose Settings → Language.
Get in touchQuestions or ideas? Or is something not working the way you expected? Feel free to write to us. We’re happy to read every email.support@doctabs.appSupport DocTabsIs DocTabs saving you time and making your work easier? Then chip in with a small donation and help shape what comes next.DonateWhat’s newSee what changed in every version and what new features it brought.Changelog
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