Zen Browser 1.18.4b – drag‑and‑drop finally works and other tweaks
Zen Browser just rolled out version 1.18.4b, and the headline fix is that dragging tabs around actually behaves this time. In this note you’ll learn what the update touches, why the split‑view repair matters for people who live in multiple windows, and whether it’s worth hitting “Update” right now.
What’s actually new?
The changelog is short:
- Drag‑and‑drop into split views now works as expected.
- Dropping a tab from one window to another no longer fails intermittently.
- A handful of quality‑of‑life tweaks and miscellaneous bug squashes.
That’s it in plain English. The developers didn’t add any flashy new UI or a secret “focus mode” button, they just stopped the browser from throwing a tantrum when you try to reorganize tabs.
Why the split‑view fix matters (or not)
I’ve seen this happen after a bad driver update: you open two Zen windows side by side, try to pull a tab into the left pane, and nothing moves. You end up closing the whole window and reopening it just to get the layout right—a waste of time for anyone who swears by Zen’s “productivity‑first” mantra.
The new code makes the drag event propagate correctly, so the OS recognises the split container as a valid drop target. In practice that means you can finally build a workspace with three tabs on the left, two on the right, and shuffle them without restarting the app.
If you never use Zen’s split view, the fix is probably invisible to you, but it does tell me the team is paying attention to the edge‑case complaints that normally get buried in “minor bug” tickets.
Should you upgrade now?
- Yes, if you regularly work with multiple windows or rely on drag‑and‑drop for research. The update removes a frustrating hiccup that can cost minutes of focus.
- Maybe not if you’re happy living in a single window and don’t care about split panes. The rest of the changes are tiny polish; nothing will break your current setup, but there’s also no compelling new feature to rush for.
One thing worth noting: Zen still markets itself as “the productivity browser” while borrowing heavily from Firefox under the hood. It’s a solid spin‑off, but it doesn’t magically make you faster—just gives you a few more shortcuts and a built‑in split view. If you’re already comfortable with Firefox’s native tab management, the extra layer may feel like unnecessary fluff.
How to get the update
Open Zen, click the gear icon → “Check for updates,” or download the installer from the GitHub announcement below. The process is painless; it overwrites the existing files without touching your profile data.
If you’re paranoid about regressions, export your bookmarks and settings first—just in case the new build introduces a weird edge case on your particular hardware configuration.
That’s the whole story. Give 1.18.4b a spin if tab‑dragging has ever made you want to smash your mouse; otherwise, stick with what works for you.
Release Release build - 1.18.4b (2026-02-03)
Zen Stable Release Fixes Fixed drag and dropping into split views not working as expected. Resolved an issue where drag and dropping tabs into different windows would sometimes fail.
Release Release build - 1.18.4b (2026-02-03) · zen-browser/desktop
