What is enhanced keyboard tab switching?
Obsidian’s built-in keyboard shortcuts let you use Ctrl/Cmd + 1-8 to switch between tabs, but this becomes limiting when you have more than 8 tabs open. Even with fewer tabs, the lack of visual feedback forces you to count tabs manually or guess which number corresponds to your target tab.
Enhanced keyboard tab switching solves these problems by adding visual indicators and extended navigation. When you hold Ctrl or Command, numbered overlays (1-8) appear on your tabs, showing exactly which key will activate each tab. For workspaces with more than 8 tabs, use Ctrl/Cmd + → to shift the numbering to the next set of tabs, or Ctrl/Cmd + ← to go back. The feature automatically scrolls your tab view to keep the numbered tabs centered and visible—eliminating the need for mouse interaction entirely!
How to use
Basic switching
- Ctrl/Cmd + 1-8 - Switch to the corresponding tab
Extended navigation
- Ctrl/Cmd + → - Show next set of 8 tabs
- Ctrl/Cmd + ← - Show previous set of 8 tabs
Visual indicators
- Hold Ctrl/Cmd + arrow keys - Display numbered overlays on tabs
- Numbers 1-8 appear on the first 8 tabs in the active group
- Arrow indicators show when more tabs are available
- Automatic scrolling centers the target tab
Enable the feature
Go to Settings → Vertical Tabs → Enhanced keyboard tab switching
The feature works with all other Vertical Tabs functionality including tab groups, ephemeral tabs, and mission control view.