What is the difference between Tab Hidden and Default Off in Salesforce?

Default Off removes the tab from the app navigation bar but keeps it in the App Launcher, so users can still open it and add it to their navigation bar. Tab Hidden removes it from the navigation bar and the App Launcher, so users can't open the tab at all. Neither setting removes access to the records.

Does Tab Hidden stop users from seeing records?

No. In my test, a record of an object with Tab Hidden still opened from a direct link. To block the records, remove the object's Read permission in the profile or permission set and control record access with sharing.

How do I stop users from changing the tabs in an app?

Edit the app in App Manager and, under App Options, select Disable end user personalization of nav items in this app. To reset tabs users have already customized, edit the profile and tick Overwrite users' personal tab customizations before saving.

Why can't a user see a custom object tab?

Check three things: the tab setting on the user's profile or permission set (it may be Tab Hidden), whether the Lightning app includes the tab in its navigation items, and whether the user has Read permission on the object. Tabs deployed through metadata without profile settings can arrive as Tab Hidden.

What do Available and Visible mean in a permission set?

Available plus Visible is the same as Default On. Available alone is the same as Default Off. With neither checkbox selected, the permission set doesn't change the tab and the profile setting applies.

Tab Hidden vs Default Off vs Default On in Salesforce

In Salesforce tab visibility, Default On shows a tab in the app’s navigation bar, Default Off keeps it out of the navigation bar but still available in the App Launcher, and Tab Hidden removes it from both. None of the three settings changes what records a user can open; that is controlled by object permissions and sharing.

I tested all three settings in a Salesforce Developer Edition org with three custom objects, one per setting, in the same Lightning app. Below are the results with screenshots, how to change tab settings in a profile and a permission set, and which setting to use when.

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