I’ve searched literally every menu option in the UI, and I read the Cursor settings tab screen.
There is no command to open the Chat. I don’t see any icon to open it in any action bar.
Is my installation broken? This is arguably literally the single most important command, because it’s a full and complete roadblock to using the product. Is this intentional, or is my installation broken?
Hey, to open the chat, use the shortcut Cmd/Ctrl + I, or Alt + Cmd/Ctrl + B to open the sidebar where the chat is located. You can also open the chat from the command palette.
I think you missed the point.
I googled and found that command.
I’m saying it’s incredibly bad UI that the most important feature of Cursor – Turning on the chat – Is impossible to figure out unless someone googles it.
We’re all sofware developers here. If the tool can’t provide 101 level good UI, then it’s hard to trust the tool in general.
Leaving this here as a warning for anyone else trying Cursor for the first time.
Don’t spend your money on this platform if, as a software development ool, they don’t understand the most basic elements of good software development.
I’m using Cursor on Windows, with the default settings. That icon/option does not exist in my UI.
Is my installation broken? Is the Windows install supposed to have that icon?
I’m Windows 11 User and it supposed to have that icon on title bar.
Whatever, If you have complain about UI, say it to VSCode (Make an issue).
Cursor is VSCode fork, Windsurf is VSCode fork, Firebase Studio is VSCode fork (browser), all of them basically just install proprietary AI chat extension and add some features to IDE. VSCode and Github Copilot is fully open source and you can directly contribute your code.
Well, I don’t know why you don’t have that icons, but if you open side bar fully and open panel you look like this:
