Zen Browser 1.18.5b introduces a “Sync only pinned tabs in workspaces” option that lets users keep their pinned shortcuts consistent across windows while leaving unpinned tabs untouched. The feature only works if the hidden window.sync.enabled flag is turned on in about:config, so double‑check that setting first. The update also upgrades the underlying engine to Firefox 147.0.3 and resolves two annoyances.

Zen Browser 1.18.5b: Sync Only Pinned Tabs and Other Handy Fixes

The latest Zen build adds a “Sync only pinned tabs in workspaces” toggle and cleans up a few long‑standing bugs. This article shows how to turn the feature on, why it matters, and what else got patched in 1.18.5b.

Enable Pinned‑Tab Sync

1. Open about:config – the hidden settings pane most users only glance at when something goes wonky.
2. Search for window.sync.enabled and make sure it’s set to true; without this flag Zen won’t sync anything across windows, so the new option stays inert.
3. Head to Settings => Tab Management and scroll to the freshly added “Sync only pinned tabs in workspaces” checkbox. Tick it.

Imagine a workflow where one window holds dev tools and another is a music streaming hub. With full‑window sync, opening a new tab in the dev window would instantly appear in the music window – not exactly what anyone wants. The new toggle keeps only those forever‑pinned shortcuts (email, docs, internal wiki) consistent while letting each workspace stay independent.

Drag‑and‑Drop Fix

Earlier releases sometimes refused to move tabs from a regular window into a blank one – the cursor would bounce back as if the tab were glued in place. The patch restores the expected behavior, making it painless to shuffle workspaces on the fly.

Under the Hood: Firefox 147.0.3

Zen still rides on Mozilla’s engine, now updated to Firefox 147.0.3. That means you get the latest security patches without having to juggle a separate update schedule.

That’s all there is to the new Zen release. Turn on pinned‑tab sync if you like tidy workspaces, and enjoy a cleaner UI on font‑heavy Windows rigs.

For more information and download links, check out the linked GitHub page below:

Release Zen Browser Release build - 1.18.5b (2026-02-05)

Zen Stable Release This update includes a new setting to allow users who didn't like the window sync feature but still want to sync their pinned tabs across windows in a workspace to do so.

Release Release build - 1.18.5b (2026-02-05) · zen-browser/desktop