What Merge All Windows changes
Apple documents Merge All Windows as a way to convert open Safari windows into tabs in a single window. The command changes the physical window layout; it is not merely a temporary overview.
Merging is useful when extra windows were opened accidentally or when one tab bar is easier to navigate. It is less useful when windows deliberately separate clients, projects, displays or presentations.
Review without merging
TabCaptain can show accessible Safari tabs from several windows in one searchable, sortable and domain-grouped list. Selecting a result returns to its Safari tab without forcing every window into one layout.
Search and cross-window overview are included free. A TabCaptain session can preserve a large set before a more substantial reorganization and requires Lifetime Premium.
After the merge
A merged tab bar may be long enough to shorten titles. Search for the active task, group pages by website and review duplicates before closing anything.
- Merge when separate windows no longer carry meaning.
- Keep windows separate when layout is part of the workflow.
- Save website work before large changes.
- Verify the active tab set after merging.