Fix Notion Workspace Sidebar Collapse State Not Persisting Across Devices

When you collapse sections of the Notion workspace sidebar, you expect that state to stay the same when you switch from your desktop to your laptop or phone. Instead, the sidebar may reset to its default expanded view, forcing you to manually collapse the same sections again. This issue typically occurs because Notion stores sidebar collapse preferences locally in the browser cache or app storage rather than syncing them through the cloud. This article explains the root cause of the problem and provides clear steps to force Notion to remember your sidebar layout across all your devices.

Why the Sidebar Collapse State Does Not Sync Across Devices

Notion stores sidebar collapse preferences in a local settings file on each device. This file is not part of the cloud-synced workspace data. When you collapse a section on your desktop, the setting is saved only to that device’s local storage. When you open Notion on another device, it reads its own local settings file, which still has the default expanded state. The result is that the sidebar appears fully expanded on every new device you use.

Notion does offer a server-side sync option for some workspace settings, but the sidebar collapse state is not included in that sync by default. This design choice prevents accidental layout changes from propagating to all team members, but it also means that individual users must manually synchronize their sidebar preferences. The problem is more noticeable when you use Notion on multiple platforms like Windows 11, macOS, iOS, and Android because each platform maintains its own local storage.

Local Storage File Location

The sidebar state is stored in a JSON file inside the Notion application data folder. On Windows, this is located at %appdata%\Notion\ or %localappdata%\Notion\. On macOS, it is at ~/Library/Application Support/Notion/. The file is named something like state.json or settings.json. This file contains the collapsed or expanded state for each sidebar section, along with other local preferences like window size and position.

Why the State Resets Unexpectedly

Sometimes the sidebar state resets even on the same device. This can happen after a Notion update, after clearing the browser cache (if using the web app), or after reinstalling the desktop app. The local settings file may be overwritten or deleted during these operations. Additionally, if you use Notion in a browser, the sidebar state is stored in the browser’s local storage, which can be cleared by browser maintenance tools or privacy settings.

Steps to Force Sidebar Collapse State to Persist Across Devices

Follow these steps in order. The first method works for most users. The second method is for advanced users who need to sync state across multiple devices manually.

Method 1: Enable Sidebar Sync in Workspace Settings

1. Open Workspace Settings
   Click your workspace name at the top left of the sidebar. From the dropdown menu, select Settings & Members.
2. Navigate to Sidebar Settings
   In the left panel of the Settings page, click Settings. Then scroll down to the Sidebar section.
3. Enable Sync Sidebar State
   Toggle on Sync sidebar state across devices. This option may not appear on Free plans. If you do not see it, skip to Method 2.
4. Collapse Sections Manually
   Return to the workspace. Collapse each sidebar section (Favorites, Private, Shared, and any workspace sections) by clicking the small arrow icon next to the section header. Wait 10 seconds for the state to save.
5. Test on Another Device
   Open Notion on a different device. The sidebar should now match the collapsed state you set. If it does not, proceed to Method 2.

Method 2: Manually Copy the Local Settings File

This method is for users who cannot use the sync toggle or need to transfer the state to a device that is not logged into the same account.

1. Locate the Settings File on the Source Device
   On the device where the sidebar is correctly collapsed, open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS). Navigate to the Notion data folder:
   Windows: %appdata%\Notion\
   macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Notion/
2. Copy the State File
   Look for a file named state.json or settings.json. Copy this file to a USB drive or cloud storage folder.
3. Paste the File on the Target Device
   On the target device, navigate to the same Notion data folder. Close the Notion app completely. Paste the copied file, replacing the existing one.
4. Restart Notion
   Open Notion on the target device. The sidebar should now reflect the collapsed state from the source device.
5. Repeat for Each Device
   Repeat this process for every device where you want the sidebar state to persist. This method requires manual effort each time you change the sidebar layout.

If the Sidebar Still Resets After the Main Fix

Sidebar State Resets After Every Browser Session

If you use Notion in a web browser, the sidebar state is stored in the browser’s local storage. Clearing cookies, cache, or site data will reset the sidebar. To avoid this, do not clear site data for notion.so. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Cookies and other site data. Add notion.so and all subdomains to the list of sites that can always use cookies.

Sidebar State Resets After Notion Desktop App Update

A Notion update may overwrite the local settings file. After updating, manually collapse the sidebar sections again. The new state will be saved to the updated settings file. To prevent future resets, enable the sync toggle described in Method 1 if available.

Sidebar Sections Keep Expanding When Adding New Pages

When you add a new page to a section, Notion may temporarily expand that section to show the new page. This is expected behavior and not a bug. The section will collapse again after you navigate away and return, provided the collapse state is saved.

Notion Plan Sidebar Sync Capabilities Compared

Feature	Free Plan	Plus / Business / Enterprise
Sync sidebar state across devices	Not available	Available in Settings > Sidebar
Manual settings file copy	Possible but unsupported	Possible but unsupported
Sidebar state survives app reinstall	No (state lost)	Yes if sync is enabled

The sync toggle is the only reliable method to persist sidebar collapse state across devices. On Free plans, you must use the manual file copy method or accept that the sidebar will reset on each new device.

You can now force Notion to remember your sidebar collapse state across all your devices by enabling the sync toggle in Settings > Sidebar or by manually copying the local settings file. For frequent changes, enable the sync option to avoid repeated manual transfers. As an advanced tip, you can create a keyboard shortcut using AutoHotkey (Windows) or Automator (macOS) to collapse all sidebar sections at once by sending clicks to the arrow icons.