"Sort by" does not retain the selection.

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Experiencing the same problem. Seems like it’s been going on ever since they removed list view and then added it back (about three weeks ago).

I can understand resetting filters (which would actually hide some things) in that scenario, but sorting doesn’t actually hide anything.

As a counter example, I keep effectively experiencing the same problem where things have disappeared from where I expect them to be, because I like my list sorted by date created and it keeps resetting to last modified. So the things I expect to be at the top of the list aren’t there any more when something else has been modified more recently.

Maintaining sorting as the user has set it from session to session, is actually going to result in more predictable and reliable access to the users expected files for most use cases.

If you all really want there to be a default sort that the system is going to keep resetting to, you absolutely have to make that default editable by the user, so individual users can establish what kind of ordering they want and it will reliably return to that. Otherwise you’re robbing peter to pay paul.

Hi team,
I’m using the desktop app and my file sorting keeps resetting to Last modified after every update, even though I set it to Alphabetical. The app doesn’t seem to remember the preference across sessions.

Can you confirm if this is expected behavior, and if not, log it as a bug? It makes managing large projects pretty painful.

Thanks!

Hi,
Same issue here, @figma can you please fix it! thanks

Having the same issue, our team finds it very hard to find the files we need because we are managing the files in an alphabetically order and it resets back to “last modified” everytime.

Same issue here.

I prefer my projects to sort in order of date created. I often have to reapply my filter because the project sorting resets to last modified. This happens numerous times per week and typically when I start my day in Figma.

It’s also inconvenient because I notice that the sorting has reset after I begin scrolling to look for a specific project and then realize that my projects are in a different order, so I scroll back up and change my sorting back to date created. Then I try looking again so that I can locate the file in my projects.

For a while this was working, but it seems to have reverted again and is once again constantly resorting by last modified despite repeatedly setting it to sort by date created.

We really need a fix for that!

Fix this issue, guys. Remember user’s sorting preference it’s a basic UI stuff. MacOS Finder or Windows File Explorer always remember folder specific sorting preferences since Windows 3.1.

I continue to have this problem. I represent a large enterprise customer, and it is infuriating that my sort order is not being preserved across sessions. -- For context, I have enforced a strict file naming convention for the team’s work and having it reset to “recent” destroys all my structure. 

​@ksn 

“For more context: this was implemented after feedback from users who thought their files were missing due to filters or sort orders being enabled.” Sort order preference should be tied to the user ID. Not the team or the group. By not preserving this preference you compound the error of “Users who think their files are missing” 

This was a bad UX decision and I’m loosing patience with paying this price on 8x daily. 
As an Alpha user testing out your very newest features this basic usability problem should be a simple and straightforward to solve.

Our team also has a strict file naming structure. Ever since Figma enforced this change we wasted efforts everyday changing the sorting back, project to project.

Please retain my project sort order. It’s okay to reset filters - as these do hide files. Sort order is heavily dependent on a team’s workflow. For example, my team relies on alpha order to successfully browse through a long list of files related to one project, which are all being regularly modified by multiple contributors and follow a naming convention. Since date order is now the default order, the sort order has to be reset literally every time we look at the list, multiple times a day, which means we struggle with files that feel missing.

Please fix this!

​@ksn Could we maybe get an update here?  This problem has been going on for over a year and it doesn’t seem like it should be that hard to fix.

If the intent is to never do this, could we get some kind of answer for why the devs think that shuffling projects so that they’re not in the order users expect them to be in is actually a good interface?

Hi Figma team,

I’d like Figma to remember my preferred file sorting option.

Every time I open the Figma Desktop App, the file browser resets to Last modified, even though I always use Alphabetical.

For designers working with large projects and design systems, alphabetical sorting is essential. Having to manually switch the sorting back to Alphabetical every time creates unnecessary friction and slows down navigation.

Suggested improvements:

• Remember the selected file sorting option across sessions.
• Sync this preference across devices (optional).
• Or provide a Default file sorting setting in Preferences.

Environment:

• macOS
• Figma Desktop App

This is a small UX improvement, but it would noticeably improve everyday navigation and productivity for users managing many design files.

Thank you!

Hi ​@Burcu_Nergiz and ​@Yutong Feng, thank you for your feedback! 

I’ve moved both of your topics into this similar, existing one in the Community. I completely understand how being able to set your own default sorting preferences could also be helpful for other users. Please know that this was an intentional change made in April of last year. This was implemented after feedback from users who thought their files went missing due to the filters and/or sort orders enabled. Right now, the only page that does not reset preferences is the "Last projects" page.

As a temporary solution, you can use the search feature in the left sidebar under your account name to search for specific files/projects by name. While this isn't the same as setting your own default preferences, hopefully it's a helpful tip.

While I can't guarantee when or if this capability will return, please know that your feedback is highly valued and will be taken into consideration for future updates. You can check out our Releases to stay up to date on all of our major product news.

There are multiple responses above noting why the solution that was implemented has now broken the experience for many other teams (making their files feel missing and inefficient to navigate). A solution to consider is to persist the user’s last sort order but reset filters. This doesn’t require the addition of settings preferences and it works for both alpha AND last modified team workflows.