Choose new-tab and folder defaults

Choose where a new Explorer tab begins and how Phials presents a folder before a restored tab state or saved view supplies a more specific configuration.

Choose where new Explorer tabs start

1. Open Settings.
2. Under General, find Startup.
3. Set New Tab Behavior to one of these choices:
   • Use Default Directory opens every new Explorer tab at Default Directory.
   • Duplicate Current Tab opens it at the active Explorer tab’s current folder.
4. If you chose Use Default Directory, choose Browse beside Default Directory and select a folder. Use Reset to home to return to your system home folder.

The behavior applies to the tab-bar +, the New Tab command, and its keyboard shortcut. It affects new Explorer tabs only; it does not move a tab that is already open or replace tabs restored from your previous session.

Despite its name, Duplicate Current Tab copies only the current folder as the new tab’s starting point. It does not copy selection, navigation history, file-view settings, tab groups, or split views. Use Duplicate an Explorer tab when you want the complete Explorer-tab state copied.

If no Explorer tab is active, Phials uses the default directory instead. Leaving Default Directory unset means your system home folder.

Set fallback folder presentation

In Settings → General, find Defaults, then set:

• Explorer View Mode for the initial file view
• Default primary sort to Name, Size, Created, Modified, Extension, or Kind
• Default sort order to Ascending or Descending
• Default group by to None, Extension, Kind, Created, or Modified

These choices supply a baseline when a folder has no more specific presentation state. A restored Explorer tab keeps its restored state, and an active saved view supplies its own view, sort, filter, and grouping. Changing these defaults does not rewrite a saved view.

Default groups start in ascending order. Change the direction in the active file view when you need a different arrangement.

To change the folder you are looking at now, use Configure a file view, Sort files, or Group files. To preserve a named configuration for later use, see Save and reuse views.