VS Code extension no longer shown in secondary sidebar, next to cursor chat tabs. Im using Anthropic and OpenAI VS code extensions next to my Cursor chat tabs.
Steps to Reproduce
Worked fine on 2.6.22, now with 2.7.0 it’s broken.
I want my Cursor, Claude and OpenAI chats all on right side panel, like before. As tabs. Now I have to move the OpenAI/Claude chat to separate activity windows next to files, which wastes a lot of screen real estate.
Hey, this is a known limitation of the new Glass layout that shipped in 2.7.0. Glass replaces the auxiliary bar secondary sidebar with its own panel system, so extensions like Claude and OpenAI can no longer show up as tabs next to Cursor chat.
Right now, those extensions need to run from the Activity Bar left sidebar. The functionality is still there, it’s just in a different place.
There’s already a main thread for this request: Secondary Sidebar not supported. The team is aware of it. There’s no timeline yet, but your report helps with prioritization.
Hi, how do we relocated extensions like Claude Code & Codex from the sidebar to the activity bar ?
Currently I could find anything in neither the settings.json that works (in both user & default settings, switching to "claudeCode.preferredLocation” to “panel“ didn’t work neither), nor in the extensions settings, nor anything on the current Cursor UI to do that. I also tried uninstalling the extensions, then reboot Cursor but didn’t changed anything neither.
Previous when I used to open the Claude Code IDE it always open a separate panel on right most side of the window and while editing the changes used to appear it on the main panel (where I am writing code the left area).
Now it appear in the left panel (main window) and changes keep going right. even when I drag drop it to the right the changes keep coming in the same window.
It feels weird and difficult to work in this way
Steps to Reproduce
Open the Claude Code
Move it to the Right Side
Do Some Changes in a file
I tried what you suggested + also did an update, but changes are still appearing in the same window. So to accept/reject changes I need to change the tab to Claude Code window and editing it showing.
Do you have plan to revert it back to the previous form or not anymore?
Hey, thanks for coming back with an update. Honestly, there’s no plan to roll this behavior back. In 3.0+, Glass and the Agents Window intentionally replaced the secondary sidebar, and extensions like Claude Code now live in the same editor group where file edits open. For some users, after recent updates, dragging Claude Code back into the sidebar started working again, but it looks like it isn’t working in your case.
A couple things you can still try:
Drag the Claude Code tab by its title all the way to the far right edge of the window. You should see a highlight for a new editor group on the right. Then file edits will open in the left group, and Claude Code will stay on the right.
From the Command Palette, with the Claude Code tab active, run View: Move Editor into Right Group.
The team has logged feedback about bringing the old behavior back, but there’s no ETA right now. If there’s an update, I’ll reply in the thread. Let me know if the split group helped.
Unfortunately dragging doesn’t work because it keeps opening the diff changes to accept in the same area so I need to keep switching tabs after dragging. What worked for me is I downgraded the cursor to 2.6 and everything is good now.
Can you guide me how can I stop auto-updates so it doesn’t switch to newer version, next time I restart cursor?
Glad you found a setup that works for you. About auto-update, honestly there’s no fully reliable way to turn it off. Here are a couple things you can try:
Settings Cmd+, then search update mode then set it to none or manual if you want to decide when to install updates. You can also set it in settings.json:
"update.mode": "none"
On macOS you can also make the .app read-only using chmod -R a-w /Applications/Cursor.app, but this is a hack, and Cursor will complain when it tries to update.
One note: users reported that update.mode isn’t always respected, see Cursor update regardless of the update settings. So there’s no guarantee, and over time if you stay on 2.6 you won’t get bug fixes, and compatibility with new models and features may break.
A couple thoughts on the original Claude Code issue so you don’t get stuck on 2.6 forever:
If the diff keeps opening in the same group as Claude Code, it usually means files are being opened from the Claude Code panel, not from Explorer. Try this: open the file from Explorer in the left group, then switch to Claude Code in the right group. After that, edits should keep going to the left group.
In settings.json you can add "workbench.editor.openSideBySideDirection": "right". This can help with Open to the Side.
If that doesn’t fix it, tell me the exact flow you’re using, where you open the file from, and where the edit comes from, and I’ll try to suggest something more specific.
My sec policy doesn’t allow me to downgrade cursor, nor does it support portable mode to hack it around. Are there plans to actually address that issue on the editor side?
Hey, yeah, it’s clear that a security policy downgrade and portable mode aren’t an option.
Honestly, there’s no plan to roll this behavior back. In Glass and the Agents Window, the secondary sidebar was intentionally replaced with the new panel system, and extensions now live in editor groups instead of the auxiliary bar. Feedback about bringing back the old behavior is logged, but there’s no specific ETA or commitment to a fix yet.
Here’s what you can try on 3.x to get close to the old setup without downgrading:
Open the extension Claude Code, Codex, or OpenAI as a normal tab, then drag it by the tab header to the right edge of the window. You’ll see a highlight for a new editor group on the right. After that, edits will open on the left, and the extension will stay on the right.
You can do the same via Command Palette. With the extension tab active, run View: Move Editor into Right Group.
If the extension icon is missing from the activity bar, try View: Reset View Locations and then Developer: Reload Window. After recent updates, drag and drop back into the sidebar started working again for some users.
In settings.json, you can add "workbench.editor.openSideBySideDirection": "right". This helps with Open to the Side.
If any step doesn’t work, tell me exactly which flow breaks, like where you open the file from and where diffs show up, and we can look at it case by case. If there’s an update on the main issue, I’ll reply in the thread.
Hey @Lukasz_Michalik, I’ll answer your question about plans directly.
We’re not planning to bring back the old behavior. In Glass and the Agents Window, the secondary sidebar was intentionally replaced with the new panel system. Extensions like Claude Code and OpenAI now live in editor groups, not in the auxiliary bar. This is an intentional layout, not a bug we’re fixing.
I get that without downgrade and portable mode, your options are limited. Here’s what you can try on 3.x to get closer to the old setup:
Open the extension Claude Code / Codex / OpenAI as a normal tab, then drag it by the tab header to the right edge of the window. You’ll see a highlight for a new editor group on the right. After that, file edits open on the left, and the extension stays on the right.
You can do the same via Command Palette. With the extension tab active, run View: Move Editor into Right Group.
If the extension icon disappeared from the activity bar, run View: Reset View Locations, then Developer: Reload Window. After recent updates, drag and drop back into the sidebar started working again for some users.
In settings.json, you can add "workbench.editor.openSideBySideDirection": "right". This helps with Open to the Side.
If any step doesn’t work, share the exact flow. Where you open the file from and where diffs show up, and we’ll go through it step by step. If there’s an update on the main request, I’ll reply in the thread.
