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Tabs and Windows in the Desktop App

In the Copera desktop app, the window's title bar is the Copera top bar, and anything you open can live in its own tab. Keep a spreadsheet, a channel, a board and an AI Chat conversation open side by side in tabs, switch between them in one click, and drag any tab out into its own window when you want to see two things at once.

The Title Bar​

The title bar holds, from left to right:

  1. The four area buttons: Channels, Work, Drive and AI Chat.
  2. Your open tabs.
  3. The + button to create or open something in a new tab.
  4. Search.

When at least one tab is open, the area buttons and search shrink to icons to make room for tabs. Hover over an icon to see its name.

The title bar feels native on each system:

  • macOS keeps the red, yellow and green window buttons on the left. Double-clicking empty space in the bar follows your macOS setting (zoom or minimize).
  • Windows keeps its own minimize, maximize and close buttons on the right, including Snap Layouts when you hover over maximize.
  • Linux uses the same bar where your desktop supports it. If you prefer your system's own title bar, turn on Use system title bar in the desktop settings.

You can always drag the window by the empty space in the bar, even when many tabs are open.

What You Can Open in a Tab​

  • Documents, spreadsheets, presentations and Markdown files from Drive
  • Artifacts
  • Text channels, direct messages and inboxes
  • AI Chat conversations
  • Boards and pages

Clicking a link to one of these inside Copera opens it in a tab. If it is already open, Copera switches to its tab instead of opening a second one.

A tab shows the item full size, without the area's left menu. The right rail is still there, so you can open a chat or AI Chat next to your file.

The + Menu​

Click + (or press Ctrl+T on Windows and Linux, ⌘T on Mac) to:

  • Create a document, spreadsheet, presentation, Markdown file, page or board.
  • Open in a tab an AI Chat conversation, a text channel, a direct message, an inbox, a board, a page, a file from Drive or an artifact.
  • Search for anything to open.

New files are saved in Drive → My Disk. The menu also shows how many tabs the window has open.

When You Have Many Tabs​

Tabs shrink as you open more. When they get narrow, they show only their icon, and the tab you are on always stays visible. When there is no more room, an All tabs button appears after +, with the number of hidden tabs.

All tabs opens a searchable list of:

  • The tabs in this window.
  • The tabs in your other Copera windows.
  • Recently closed tabs, so you can reopen them.

Press Ctrl+Shift+A (Windows/Linux) or ⌘⇧A (Mac) to open the same list. The tab strip never scrolls sideways.

The 20-Tab Limit​

Each window can have up to 20 tabs. When a window is full, opening another tab is blocked and Copera shows "Maximum number of tabs reached. Close a tab to open another." with a Show all tabs button. Nothing is closed for you: close a tab you no longer need, or move one to another window, and try again.

The limit applies to every way of opening a tab: the + menu, links, notifications, a chat you pop out, and tabs moved in from another window.

Pinned Tabs​

Pin a tab you always keep open, such as your main channel. Pinned tabs sit at the left of the strip, show only their icon, and are never closed automatically.

Tabs You Haven't Used in a While​

To keep the app fast, Copera lets tabs you haven't used for a while rest in the background. A resting tab looks like any other tab; when you click it, it loads its content again, and files pick up the latest changes. Tabs with unsaved work, such as a message you are still typing or an upload in progress, never rest.

Moving Tabs to Their Own Window​

To see two things at once, move a tab to its own window:

  • Drag the tab out of the title bar, or
  • Right-click the tab and choose Move to new window.

The tab opens in a new Copera window with the same title bar, tabs and right rail. To bring it back, drag the tab onto the other window's tab strip, or choose Move to main window. If the window you move a tab to already has 20 tabs, the tab stays where it was.

Two windows can show the same file; they work like two people editing it, and changes appear in both.

Popping a Chat Out Into a Tab​

A chat or AI Chat conversation open in the right rail drawer can pop out into its own tab, so you can keep it open while you work in another tab.

Tabs After a Restart​

When you restart the desktop app, your tabs and windows come back, including windows you moved to another place on your screen. Each workspace keeps its own tabs: switching workspace shows that workspace's tabs, and signing out clears them.

If an item in a tab was deleted or is no longer shared with you, the tab tells you it is no longer available instead of showing an error.

Keyboard Shortcuts​

ActionWindows / LinuxMac
Open the + menuCtrl+T⌘T
Close the tabCtrl+W⌘W
Close the windowCtrl+Shift+W⌘⇧W
Reopen the last closed tabCtrl+Shift+T⌘⇧T
Next / previous tabCtrl+Tab / Ctrl+Shift+TabCtrl+Tab / Ctrl+Shift+Tab
Go to Channels, Work, Drive, AI ChatCtrl+1 to Ctrl+4⌘1 to ⌘4
All tabsCtrl+Shift+A⌘⇧A

When no tab is open, Ctrl+W / ⌘W works as before. The area shortcuts are not used while you are typing in an editor or a text field, where the editor keeps the key (for example, Ctrl+1 formats cells in a spreadsheet).

Frequently Asked Questions​

Why can't I open more than 20 tabs?​

Each window holds up to 20 tabs to keep the tab strip usable and the app fast. Close a tab or move one to another window to make room. You can open more windows.

Where do my tabs go when I close the app?​

They are saved. When you open the app again, your tabs and windows come back for each workspace.

Does the web app have tabs?​

The web app uses your browser's tabs: Office files, Markdown files and artifacts open in a new browser tab.

Can I still use the system title bar on Linux?​

Yes. Turn on Use system title bar in the desktop settings.