Feature request for product/service
Cursor IDE
Describe the request
Summary
After upgrading to Cursor 3.x, I lost the familiar three-column layout: agent/chat on the left, code in the center, and file explorer on the right. Recovery depends on hidden shortcuts and menu items that are not documented in Cursor Settings, which creates a poor and confusing experience—especially for users who expect VS Code–style layout controls.
Expected behavior
On launch, open the classic editor by default (not Glass / Agents-only UI).
Provide visible settings (not only command palette) for:
Default interface: Editor vs Agents / Glass
Primary sidebar position (files left or right)
Agent / chat panel position (opposite side from explorer)
Layout choices should persist across restarts and updates without resetting to Glass or collapsing sidebars (sideBarWidth: 0).
Settings and docs should match what appears in the UI (including localized labels).
Actual behavior
Cursor often reopens in Glass / Agents mode (glassMode: true), with a different menu (e.g. File → New Agent, Open Editor Window) instead of the classic IDE.
Cursor Settings → General shows account/notifications only—no layout or “default to editor” option (I checked Appearance / Agents as well; nothing obvious for this).
Restoring the classic layout requires undocumented steps:
File → Open Editor Window (Ctrl+Shift+N) — not listed in Cursor Settings
View: Move Primary Side Bar Right — often via Command Palette only
Ctrl+Alt+Tab to cycle layouts (Agent / Editor / Zen / Browser) with no clear on-screen indicator of the active layout
workbench.sideBar.location: “right” in settings.json does not reliably apply when Glass is the last saved window state; globalStorage/storage.json can override with sideBarSide: “left” and zero-width sidebars.
Local History under %APPDATA%\Cursor\User\History\ helps recover settings.json, but layout/window state is fragmented across multiple files with no user-facing “restore layout” action.
Steps to reproduce
Install or update to Cursor 3.x on Windows.
Use the product normally; close while focused on Agents/Glass or an empty window.
Relaunch Cursor.
Observe Glass/Agents UI instead of classic editor with three columns.
Open Cursor Settings (gear) → General → confirm there is no clear “default layout” or “open editor on startup” control.
Try to set agent left / files right without Command Palette → layout resets or panels stay hidden.
Impact
High for daily IDE users: lost muscle memory, extra minutes per session, risk of editing in the wrong UI mode.
Feels like a regression from VS Code–style predictability.
Support burden: users blame themselves; the product does not surface recovery paths.
Suggested improvements
Settings → Layout (or Appearance):
Default startup: Editor | Agents | Remember last
Preset: Agent left · Editor center · Files right (one-click)
Persistent “Switch to classic editor” in the main toolbar (not only File in Glass).
On first run after upgrade: “Which layout do you want?” with a preview diagram.
Do not save glassMode: true as last window when the user explicitly switched to Editor.
Document Windows shortcuts in help: Ctrl+Shift+N, Ctrl+Alt+Tab, Ctrl+L, side bar commands.
Align Cursor Settings vs VS Code Settings (Ctrl+,) in UI copy so users know where to look.
Workarounds I use today (should not be required)
Ctrl+Shift+N → Open Editor Window
Ctrl+Alt+Tab → select Editor layout
Ctrl+L → agent/chat; Ctrl+Shift+E → explorer
Command Palette → View: Move Primary Side Bar Right
Manual edits to %APPDATA%\Cursor\User\storage.json and globalStorage\storage.json (fragile)
Attachments / logs (if helpful)
User/settings.json (workbench.sideBar.location: “right”)
User/globalStorage/storage.json (glassMode, layoutInfo.sideBarSide, sideBarWidth)
Screenshot: Cursor Settings → General (no layout options)
Screenshot: Glass File menu showing Open Editor Window
Closing
The agent and Glass experiences are valuable, but hiding the classic editor behind undisclosed shortcuts hurts trust and productivity. Please treat layout persistence and discoverable defaults as a first-class settings problem, not power-user configuration.
Thank you.