Using Variable Mode to control nested instances, Disrespects Boolean properties

Hey, ​@Smith_Samuel_D!  Thanks so much for the detailed report and the video demo. That's super helpful for understanding the exact scenario you're running into.

What you're seeing is the expected behavior with how Figma handles nested instance variant bindings. When a variable controls a nested component's variant by switching modes, the overrides don’t carry over to the new variant (including boolean property values). The variant switches as expected, but other properties reset to the component's defaults since those overrides don’t persist with mode change.

At the moment, the most common solution is to restructure your component hierarchy so that the boolean properties you need to control independently aren't dependent on a variable-driven variant switch at the nested level. I know that's not the answer you were hoping for, and I'm sorry this is blocking a workflow that could save you a lot of time. Let me know if you want to brainstorm different ways to structure your components!

Hey ​@adamsmasher, thanks for the reply and clarification! What is the benefit for it working the way it does today? In this particular case, it seems like it will just make more work for someone trying to implement this. Is it something Figma would consider changing, or should I just plan to try to remember this (hidden) rule?

This sounds like a state persistence issue between variant switching and nested boolean properties. It might be that the variable-driven variant change is reinitializing the component instance, which resets internal booleans.

​@Smith_Samuel_D, I’m reaching out internally to see if I can find out any more information that I can share. I’m also checking if there are any other solutions than what I provided already which might work better for you. Thanks again for the feedback!

Hi again, ​@Smith_Samuel_D! After talking with the team, I created a ticket for you with our Technical Quality team so they can take a closer look. You should get an email notification shortly, and I recommend replying to that with a link to the file as well as any other info you want to include. I linked to this thread and your video in the ticket, too. Thanks so much for your patience!