How do I make Cursor one IDE by default?
It started to open chat mode after updates, no matter what I do, settings like disabling “openAgentsWindowOnStartup”, it still keeps opening agents chat instead of IDE, I need every time to open from that IDE and close agents window, this is pretty annoying.
Also agents window always confirms on close, at least an option to close it quickly.
I’d just completely remove separate agents chat model from IDE, this are two different things.
This worked for me on v3.11.19:
Settings - General - Open Agents Window On Startup - Off. Then you need to have IDE open. Close Agents Window, if it’s open. After that, Close IDE. The next time you open Cursor it should open in IDE.
Hey, this is a known bug. The setting “Open Agents Window on Startup: Off” isn’t always respected after a restart, and Cursor restores the Agents Window instead of the IDE.
Workaround: make sure the last active window before quitting is the regular IDE window, not the Agents Window. Steps:
Cmd+Q, not the red close button. The close button doesn’t quit the process, the app stays in the Dock and starts via a warm path that ignores the setting.On the next launch, the IDE window should restore.
We’re tracking the bug, but I can’t share an exact ETA for a fix yet. If the workaround doesn’t help, tell me your OS and Cursor version from Help > About, and we’ll dig in.
About the confirmation dialog when closing the Agents Window, that’s a separate thing. I’ll pass it along as a request for a fast close without a dialog.
Settings - General - Open Agents Window On Startup - Off. Then you need to have IDE open. Close Agents Window, if it’s open. After that, Close IDE. The next time you open Cursor it should open in IDE.
Workaround: make sure the last active window before quitting is the regular IDE window, not the Agents Window. Steps:
I tried this, doesn’t work if I close projects one by one, and I work with dozen of projects, so I can’t keep them opened.
Yeah, this workaround hits a limit. It relies on the IDE being the last active window before you quit, and with like ten projects in different windows it falls apart. Fair complaint.
This bug is known and already being tracked, but I can’t share an exact ETA for a fix yet. As soon as I have an update, I’ll reply in the thread.
To attach your case to the investigation, please share:
Help > AboutAlso, can you confirm: do you open each project in its own window with multiple windows open at the same time, or do you switch between projects inside a single window? This will help narrow down which scenario is ignoring the setting.
MacOs 26.5.1 (25F80)
Cursor
Version: 3.11.19 (Universal)
VS Code Extension API: 1.125.0
Commit: bf249e6efb5b097f23d7e21d7283429f0760b740
Date: 2026-07-12T21:39:24.175Z
Layout: IDE
Build Type: Stable
Release Track: Default
Electron: 40.10.3
Chromium: 144.0.7559.236
Node.js: 24.15.0
V8: 14.4.258.32-electron.0
xterm.js: 6.1.0-beta.256
OS: Darwin arm64 25.5.0
Also, can you confirm: do you open each project in its own window with multiple windows open at the same time, or do you switch between projects inside a single window?
I open multiple windows, when I close the last window, clicking on cursor in the Dock opens agents chat instead of IDE.
Thanks, the version and steps help. What you’re describing, when you close the last window and then launching from the Dock opens the Agents chat instead of the IDE, is exactly the case where Open Agents Window on Startup: Off doesn’t work. This specific scenario, launching with no windows to restore, is a known bug right now, and the workaround with the last active IDE window won’t help here, you’re right.
Also, about quickly closing the Agents Window with no confirmation dialog, I’ve passed that along as a request. That’s separate from the main bug.
There are many ongoing threads about this. I suggest we consolidate them into the following!