How to Turn the Sleeping Tabs in Microsoft Edge On or Off Are you noticing system instability or lag with too many Edge windows open? This video shows you how to properly manage Sleeping Tabs in Microsoft Edge via Settings, Policy, or the Windows Registry. Microsoft Edge's Sleeping Tabs feature is a built-in performance booster designed to automatically pause those unused background tabs to save system resources. Before we begin, be sure to subscribe to NinjaOne’s IT video hub and our YouTube channel for more tech content like this. Understanding Microsoft Edge Sleeping Tabs Sleeping tabs help keep Edge fast and responsive without requiring constant manual tab management. The feature automatically puts inactive tabs to "sleep" after a set amount of time. To manage this feature, you need Chromium-based Microsoft Edge version 88 or newer on Windows 11. Enabling/Disabling as an Individual User (The GUI Method) For individual users, the fastest way is through Microsoft Edge Settings GUI. First, open Edge Go to the three-dot menu Select Settings Then go to System and performance, and click Performance. Here, you'll find the toggle for "Save resources with sleeping tabs." Simply switch it ON to enable sleeping tabs, or OFF to disable the feature entirely. You can also fine-tune settings here, such as adjusting the sleep timeout and adding specific websites to the “Never put these sites to sleep” list, like critical web apps such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom. Enterprise Control: Group Policy and Registry Management IT admins need standardized control. Group Policy is ideal for enforcing sleeping tabs performance policies across domain-joined Windows devices. First, install the ADMX templates Open gpedit.msc, and navigate to Administrative Templates Then go to Microsoft Edge, go to Sleeping Tabs, and set the relevant policies. For Windows Pro/Home users or admins testing configurations can manually edit the Registry Editor. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Pol icies\Microsoft\Edge and modify the SleepingTabsEnabled DWORD value to 1 for On or 0 for Off. Always back up your registry before making changes. Whether you use the GUI for personal optimization or Group Policy for enterprise enforcement, mastering Microsoft Edge sleeping tabs is key to boosting efficiency and keeping older hardware responsive. For more information, check out our official blog post on How to Turn the Sleeping Tabs in Microsoft Edge On or Off linked in the description below.