fix(desktop): keep recents sorted unless manually reordered (#45404)

apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/index.tsx

@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ import {
   $sidebarPinsOpen,
   $sidebarRecentsOpen,
   $sidebarSessionOrderIds,
+  $sidebarSessionOrderManual,
   $sidebarWorkspaceOrderIds,
   $sidebarWorkspaceParentOrderIds,
   pinSession,
@@ -65,6 +66,7 @@ import {
   setSidebarPinsOpen,
   setSidebarRecentsOpen,
   setSidebarSessionOrderIds,
+  setSidebarSessionOrderManual,
   setSidebarWorkspaceOrderIds,
   setSidebarWorkspaceParentOrderIds,
   SIDEBAR_SESSIONS_PAGE_SIZE,
@@ -99,6 +101,7 @@ import type { SidebarNavItem } from '../../types'
 
 import { SidebarCronJobsSection } from './cron-jobs-section'
 import { SidebarLoadMoreRow } from './load-more-row'
+import { resolveManualSessionOrderIds } from './order'
 import { ProfileRail } from './profile-switcher'
 import { SidebarSessionRow } from './session-row'
 import { VirtualSessionList } from './virtual-session-list'
@@ -354,6 +357,7 @@ export function ChatSidebar({
   // otherwise be stuck in the grouped view with no way out.
   const showAllProfiles = multiProfile && profileScope === ALL_PROFILES
   const agentOrderIds = useStore($sidebarSessionOrderIds)
+  const agentOrderManual = useStore($sidebarSessionOrderManual)
   const workspaceOrderIds = useStore($sidebarWorkspaceOrderIds)
   const workspaceParentOrderIds = useStore($sidebarWorkspaceParentOrderIds)
   const [searchQuery, setSearchQuery] = useState('')
@@ -517,19 +521,29 @@ export function ChatSidebar({
   )
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    const next = reconcileOrderIds(
+    const next = resolveManualSessionOrderIds(
       unpinnedAgentSessions.map(s => s.id),
-      agentOrderIds
+      agentOrderIds,
+      agentOrderManual
     )
 
-    if (!sameIds(next, agentOrderIds)) {
+    if (!next.length && agentOrderManual) {
+      setSidebarSessionOrderManual(false)
+    }
+
+    if (!next.length && agentOrderIds.length) {
+      setSidebarSessionOrderIds([])
+      return
+    }
+
+    if (next.length && !sameIds(next, agentOrderIds)) {
       setSidebarSessionOrderIds(next)
     }
-  }, [agentOrderIds, unpinnedAgentSessions])
+  }, [agentOrderIds, agentOrderManual, unpinnedAgentSessions])
 
   const agentSessions = useMemo(
-    () => orderByIds(unpinnedAgentSessions, s => s.id, agentOrderIds),
-    [unpinnedAgentSessions, agentOrderIds]
+    () => (agentOrderManual ? orderByIds(unpinnedAgentSessions, s => s.id, agentOrderIds) : unpinnedAgentSessions),
+    [unpinnedAgentSessions, agentOrderIds, agentOrderManual]
   )
 
   // Recents are local-only: messaging-platform sessions are fetched as their
@@ -752,7 +766,10 @@ export function ChatSidebar({
 
   // Each reorderable list reports its OWN new id order; persisting is a direct,
   // typed write — no id-prefix sniffing to figure out which level moved.
-  const reorderSessions = (ids: string[]) => setSidebarSessionOrderIds(ids)
+  const reorderSessions = (ids: string[]) => {
+    setSidebarSessionOrderManual(true)
+    setSidebarSessionOrderIds(ids)
+  }
 
   const reorderParents = (ids: string[]) => setSidebarWorkspaceParentOrderIds(ids)
 

apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/order.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+import { resolveManualSessionOrderIds } from './order'
+
+describe('resolveManualSessionOrderIds', () => {
+  it('clears legacy auto-seeded order until the user manually reorders sessions', () => {
+    expect(resolveManualSessionOrderIds(['newest', 'older'], ['older', 'newest'], false)).toEqual([])
+  })
+
+  it('keeps a manual order and surfaces newly seen sessions first', () => {
+    expect(resolveManualSessionOrderIds(['newest', 'older', 'oldest'], ['oldest', 'older'], true)).toEqual([
+      'newest',
+      'oldest',
+      'older'
+    ])
+  })
+
+  it('clears manual order when none of the saved ids still exist', () => {
+    expect(resolveManualSessionOrderIds(['newest'], ['gone'], true)).toEqual([])
+  })
+})

apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/order.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+export function resolveManualSessionOrderIds(currentIds: string[], orderIds: string[], manual: boolean): string[] {
+  if (!manual || !currentIds.length || !orderIds.length) {
+    return []
+  }
+
+  const current = new Set(currentIds)
+  const retained = orderIds.filter(id => current.has(id))
+
+  if (!retained.length) {
+    return []
+  }
+
+  const retainedSet = new Set(retained)
+  const fresh = currentIds.filter(id => !retainedSet.has(id))
+
+  return [...fresh, ...retained]
+}

apps/desktop/src/lib/storage.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+import { persistStringArray, storedStringArray } from './storage'
+
+describe('string array storage', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    window.localStorage.clear()
+  })
+
+  it('removes the key for an empty array', () => {
+    window.localStorage.setItem('test.order', JSON.stringify(['a']))
+
+    persistStringArray('test.order', [])
+
+    expect(window.localStorage.getItem('test.order')).toBeNull()
+    expect(storedStringArray('test.order')).toEqual([])
+  })
+
+  it('persists non-empty arrays', () => {
+    persistStringArray('test.order', ['a', 'b'])
+
+    expect(window.localStorage.getItem('test.order')).toBe(JSON.stringify(['a', 'b']))
+    expect(storedStringArray('test.order')).toEqual(['a', 'b'])
+  })
+})

apps/desktop/src/lib/storage.ts

@@ -58,7 +58,11 @@ export function storedStringArray(key: string): string[] {
 
 export function persistStringArray(key: string, value: string[]) {
   try {
-    window.localStorage.setItem(key, JSON.stringify(value))
+    if (value.length === 0) {
+      window.localStorage.removeItem(key)
+    } else {
+      window.localStorage.setItem(key, JSON.stringify(value))
+    }
   } catch {
     // Pins are a local preference; restricted storage should not break chat.
   }

apps/desktop/src/store/layout.ts

@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ const SIDEBAR_AGENTS_GROUPED_STORAGE_KEY = 'hermes.desktop.agentsGroupedByWorksp
 const SIDEBAR_CRON_OPEN_STORAGE_KEY = 'hermes.desktop.sidebarCronOpen'
 const SIDEBAR_MESSAGING_OPEN_STORAGE_KEY = 'hermes.desktop.sidebarMessagingOpen'
 const SIDEBAR_SESSION_ORDER_STORAGE_KEY = 'hermes.desktop.sessionOrder'
+const SIDEBAR_SESSION_ORDER_MANUAL_STORAGE_KEY = 'hermes.desktop.sessionOrder.manual'
 const SIDEBAR_WORKSPACE_ORDER_STORAGE_KEY = 'hermes.desktop.workspaceOrder'
 const SIDEBAR_WORKSPACE_PARENT_ORDER_STORAGE_KEY = 'hermes.desktop.workspaceParentOrder'
 const PANES_FLIPPED_STORAGE_KEY = 'hermes.desktop.panesFlipped'
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ export const $sidebarWidth: ReadableAtom<number> = computed($paneStates, states
 
 export const $pinnedSessionIds = atom(storedStringArray(SIDEBAR_PINNED_STORAGE_KEY))
 export const $sidebarSessionOrderIds = atom(storedStringArray(SIDEBAR_SESSION_ORDER_STORAGE_KEY))
+export const $sidebarSessionOrderManual = atom(storedBoolean(SIDEBAR_SESSION_ORDER_MANUAL_STORAGE_KEY, false))
 export const $sidebarWorkspaceOrderIds = atom(storedStringArray(SIDEBAR_WORKSPACE_ORDER_STORAGE_KEY))
 // Order of the top-level repo "parent" groups in the worktree tree (worktrees
 // within a parent reuse $sidebarWorkspaceOrderIds).
@@ -88,6 +90,7 @@ $pinnedSessionIds.subscribe(ids => persistStringArray(SIDEBAR_PINNED_STORAGE_KEY
 $sidebarCronOpen.subscribe(open => persistBoolean(SIDEBAR_CRON_OPEN_STORAGE_KEY, open))
 $sidebarMessagingOpenIds.subscribe(ids => persistStringArray(SIDEBAR_MESSAGING_OPEN_STORAGE_KEY, [...ids]))
 $sidebarSessionOrderIds.subscribe(ids => persistStringArray(SIDEBAR_SESSION_ORDER_STORAGE_KEY, [...ids]))
+$sidebarSessionOrderManual.subscribe(manual => persistBoolean(SIDEBAR_SESSION_ORDER_MANUAL_STORAGE_KEY, manual))
 $sidebarWorkspaceOrderIds.subscribe(ids => persistStringArray(SIDEBAR_WORKSPACE_ORDER_STORAGE_KEY, [...ids]))
 $sidebarWorkspaceParentOrderIds.subscribe(ids =>
   persistStringArray(SIDEBAR_WORKSPACE_PARENT_ORDER_STORAGE_KEY, [...ids])
@@ -170,6 +173,12 @@ export function setSidebarSessionOrderIds(ids: string[]) {
   }
 }
 
+export function setSidebarSessionOrderManual(manual: boolean) {
+  if ($sidebarSessionOrderManual.get() !== manual) {
+    $sidebarSessionOrderManual.set(manual)
+  }
+}
+
 export function setSidebarWorkspaceOrderIds(ids: string[]) {
   if (!arraysEqual($sidebarWorkspaceOrderIds.get(), ids)) {
     $sidebarWorkspaceOrderIds.set(ids)