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Issue Separating Mobile and Admin Files – Components No Longer Recognize Libraries

  • June 14, 2026
  • 1 reply
  • 16 views
maryamataei

I have been working on a file which currently contains both:

  • Mobile version screens and UI Kit
  • Admin panel screens and UI Kit

My goal was to separate these into two independent files:

  1. Mobile version + Mobile UI Kit
  2. Admin panel + Admin UI Kit

My first attempt was to duplicate the original file. I kept the mobile version and its UI Kit in one file and the admin panel and its UI Kit in the duplicated file. However, after doing this, the duplicated file did not recognize its UI Kit as a library, and the components appeared to lose their connection. Because of this issue, I reverted to a previous version.

My second attempt was to create a completely new file and move the Admin UI Kit, styles, and typography into it first. Then I moved the Admin screens into the same file. Unfortunately, the same issue occurred again: the components did not properly recognize the UI Kit as their library.

The most concerning part is that after rolling back to a previous version, my components no longer seem to recognize either file as their source library. This is happening for both the Admin panel and the Mobile version. It appears that the library connections have become broken, and I am unsure how to restore them.

Could you please advise on:

  • How I can safely separate the Mobile and Admin projects into independent files while preserving component relationships?
  • How to restore the connection between existing component instances and their source libraries?
  • Whether there is a recommended workflow for splitting a file that contains multiple UI Kits and design systems?
  • How I can verify which file is currently considered the source library for my components?

    1 reply

    Tom Reem
    Figmate
    • Tom Reem
    • Figmate
    • June 14, 2026

    Hey ​@maryamataei — welcome to Figma Forum and thanks for laying this out.

    What you're running into appears to be a current limitation: When you duplicate a file or move components by copy-pasting, Figma treats those components as entirely new (with new unique IDs) so existing instances lose their connection to the originals, even if the components look identical.

    To address your questions:

    For future attempts at separating these files, the supported path is the move published components workflow. It preserves component IDs and keeps instances linked across files: Move published components.

    For the disconnected state you're in now, the swap library path is worth a look as it re-links instances to a new library file by matching component names: Swap libraries.

    If swap library doesn't catch everything, you can also swap instances manually as a fallback: Swap components and instances.

    To check which file any component is currently pointing to, right-click an instance → "Go to main component."

    👉🏻 All that said, since things are still not connecting after reverting to a previous version, my suggestion as the next step here is to have our Product Support team take a direct look at your files — they'll be able to see exactly what's going on and offer more clarity. If you’re up for sharing file access, just say the word and I'll get that started for you.

    Keep us posted on how it’s going!

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