microsoft/Terminal

Add 'new tab' menu item to window system menu when tab strip is hidden

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#19538 opened on Nov 8, 2025

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Area-UserInterfaceHelp WantedIssue-FeatureProduct-Terminal

Description

Description of the new feature

When the tab strip is hidden, there is no clear way to open a new tab. I think that adding a 'new tab' menu item to the window's system menu, which shows the different profiles in a submenu, would fix this.

Proposed technical implementation details

I don't know much cpp! All I have to say is AppendMenu().

Contributor guide

Tech stack
cpp
Domain
desktop
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
2
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
mostly clear
Prerequisites
basic C++Windows API
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
60
Research direction
First, identify where the tab strip hiding logic is implemented in the Terminal codebase (likely in files related to window management). Then, locate the code that handles the window system menu, possibly in a file like WindowMenu.cpp or similar. Add a new menu item using AppendMenu that triggers the command to open a new tab. Consider the existing tab creation logic and ensure the new menu item behaves correctly when the tab strip is hidden.