Tabs switch when umber pressed even without having ALT pressed

[Simonsabin2]

It seems something is up with the new tab navigation. I've found that when you press a numbered key it can switch tabs even without ALT pressed. This is really off putting when you are trying to type something containing a number into a notebook etc that contains a number and suddenly the tabs switch. 

The docs imply that you have to use the ALT + Num, but I've had many situations when its switching tabs without ALT pressed.  Testing suggests this behaviour occurs after one has clicked on and opened a item from the workspace navigator.

[TimoRiikonen]

Done:
- Check Keybindings: If the software lets you customize shortcuts, verify that the tab-switching keybindings (ALT + number) haven’t been changed or misconfigured.

   - This has never affected anything except Fabric. Since Alt-1 writes nothing, it would be obvious to notice if this would be an issue elsewhere.

- Reset Tab Navigation Settings: If the app has settings for tab navigation or workspace focus, try resetting them to the default to see if it resolves the issue.

   - The "app" here is Fabric software engineering. Can you give more details about this option.

- Try Incognito/Guest Mode: In case you're using a browser, run it in incognito mode or a guest profile to rule out any extensions causing conflicts.

    - Not done. Using incognito is not a solution. But I need to remove all extensions from use. Not done yet.

- Report the Bug: If none of the above work and the problem persists, it might be worth reporting the issue to the support team, especially if it’s a recent bug.

   - This is not recent, but it looks like nothing will happen without a support request, so support request created:
2601261420000557

[TimoRiikonen]

Reply
The fix is expected to be available in mid-February (around February 15).

[theross]

For what it's worth, with the help of @scca's response above...

Repeatable cause: ALT+Tab away from a Fabric Notebook - return to Notebook, numerics now change Notebook tab.

Fix: Just tap ALT in your Fabric Notebook tab, numerics no longer change tab.

I'm guessing other ALT combo shortcuts might also cause the behaviour, but ALT+Tab has proven 100% repeatable for me and a colleague.

Edit: Actually, I'd suggest ALT+Shift to "fix" the issue after ALT+Tabbing. Pressing ALT alone will move focus away from your code block and require a click to get back, ALT+Shift is a valid Fabric Notebook keyboard shortcut that does nothing unless you also cursor/mouse-click - so tapping ALT+Shift will "fix" the numeric behaviour and not change focus away from the editor.

[scca]

Try pressing Alt + any number once. It worked for me. I didn't know that it was triggered by alt+number till I found this post but then I thought maybe it could "reverse" the behaviour and it did for me so far. Hope it helps. 

Update: The problem came back. Seems the fix is only temporary. 

[theross]

Did you get any useful answers to this issue?

It's just started happening for me and a number of my colleagues, absolutely infuriating issue to work with.

[richardho]

The only get around I've found is to change the perspective to being PowerBI which uses the old UI. Very frustrating that it's still an issue going into the new year

[v-echaithra]

Hi @Simonsabin2 ,

The recommended next step is to raise a Microsoft Fabric support ticket so the product team can review and investigate this as a potential issue.

To create a support ticket for Microsoft Fabric and Power BI, please follow the steps outlined in the guide below:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/support/create-support-ticket

I hope this helps.
Thank you.

[v-echaithra]

Hi @theross ,

Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Community.
We understand that you are also experiencing the same behavior across browsers. I hope you have tried the workaround suggested in the previous reply. The best next step is to raise a Microsoft Fabric support ticket so the product team can investigate this as a potential bug.

To raise a support ticket for Fabric and Power BI, kindly follow the steps outlined in the following guide:

How to create a Fabric and Power BI Support ticket - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Hope this helps.
Thank you.

[theross]

Regarding your previous workaround suggestions:

Check if there are any settings related to keyboard shortcuts or tab navigation within Microsoft Fabric’s Accessibility settings. If there’s an option to configure or disable these shortcuts, you might be able to prevent the number keys from switching tabs.

Please could you advise where I find "Microsoft Fabric's Accessibility settings"?

Check if there are any updates or patches for Fabric.

Please could you advise how I find/apply any "updates or patches for Fabric", which is a cloud service I have no control over?

[Simonsabin2]

I took those as very AI generated responses. 

[theross]

Ditto, but they're being offered as workarounds so it's only fair to ask how. 🙂

[PJ-Fairday]

I'm having the same issue (Microsoft Edge). It's mighty annoying. I have to type my numbers in a text editor then copy into my Fabric Notebook or whatever.

[v-echaithra]

Hi @Simonsabin2 ,

We’d like to follow up regarding the recent concern. Kindly confirm whether the issue has been resolved by suport team, or if further assistance is still required. We are available to support you and are committed to helping you reach a resolution.

Best Regards,
Chaithra E.

[Simonsabin2]

I realise I didn't call this out. This is in the Fabric portal and so not PBI desktop or any client app. 

[v-echaithra]

Hi  @Simonsabin2 ,

Thank you for providing the update.
In Microsoft Fabric, when interacting with various parts of the interface such as the workspace navigator or tabs, it's possible that a UI element is receiving focus and triggering tab-switching on number key presses. After selecting an item, try clicking elsewhere on the page to see if that releases the focus from the workspace navigator. This may prevent the tab-switching behavior.
Check if there are any settings related to keyboard shortcuts or tab navigation within Microsoft Fabric’s Accessibility settings. If there’s an option to configure or disable these shortcuts, you might be able to prevent the number keys from switching tabs.
Check if there are any updates or patches for Fabric. Additionally, clear your browser cache to rule out any issues stemming from stale session data.

If your issue still persists, please consider raising a support ticket for further assistance.
To raise a support ticket for Fabric and Power BI, kindly follow the steps outlined in the following guide:

How to create a Fabric and Power BI Support ticket - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Best Regards,
Chaithra E.

[richardho]

I have the same issue, I'm experiencing this in Chrome and Edge.  Very frustrating.

[v-echaithra]

Hi  @Simonsabin2 ,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Community.

It seems like there could be a bug in the tab navigation system, especially after interacting with the workspace navigator. Some applications or browsers may unintentionally treat number keys as tab-switching shortcuts once certain UI elements are focused, even if you're not pressing ALT. This issue often happens after you select or click an item in the workspace navigator, which might cause the app to enter "tab-switching" mode more aggressively, possibly due to how focus is being handled.

To troubleshoot:

Check Keybindings: If the software lets you customize shortcuts, verify that the tab-switching keybindings (ALT + number) haven’t been changed or misconfigured.

Reset Tab Navigation Settings: If the app has settings for tab navigation or workspace focus, try resetting them to the default to see if it resolves the issue.

Try Incognito/Guest Mode: In case you're using a browser, run it in incognito mode or a guest profile to rule out any extensions causing conflicts.

Report the Bug: If none of the above work and the problem persists, it might be worth reporting the issue to the support team, especially if it’s a recent bug.

To raise a support ticket for Fabric and Power BI, kindly follow the steps outlined in the following guide:

How to create a Fabric and Power BI Support ticket - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Hope this helps.
Thank you.