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Files: folder tree in the navigation does not follow the folder opened in the main view #65815
Description
Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
In the Files app, the folder tree in the left navigation does not follow the folder that is open in the main view. When navigating in the main file list, the tree does not expand along the path to the current folder and does not highlight it, so the left navigation gives no hint where you are.
Observed on Nextcloud 35.0.2 (Files app 3.0.0), "All files" view, with the "Folders" tree shown in the left navigation:
- Start at the root. The tree shows the 8 top-level folders.
- Open a folder in the main list (level 1), then a subfolder (level 2), then another subfolder (level 3).
- After each step the tree still shows only the 8 top-level entries. No entry is expanded and no entry is highlighted. The main view is three levels deep.
I only tested navigating in the main "All files" view. The tree links point to /apps/files/folders/<id>?dir=..., so using the tree switches the main view to the "Folders" view.
Describe the solution you'd like
The tree should follow the main view, as in a file manager: expand along the path to the current folder and highlight that folder, and keep doing so when navigating via the main list or the breadcrumbs.
Related
- Folder tree view: Selected folder in left sidebar is deselected after any action in main window, causing loss of user context #59171 / PR fix: folder tree selection after any action in main content #59359: selection in the tree was lost after actions in the main view (fixed, included in 35.0.0). This request is about the tree following the main view, which that fix does not seem to cover.
- Tree view improvements #58099 (tree view improvements), item 9: loading the tree from a subfolder does not show siblings up to the root.
Environment
Nextcloud 35.0.2, Files 3.0.0, Chrome 156 on macOS. Server: Ubuntu 24.04, PHP 8.5.12, MariaDB 10.11, Apache 2.4.58, APCu + Redis.
Activity
salmart-dev commentedon Oct 27, 2026
Hello @gseilheimer,
thank you for reporting your expectations on how the tree view could improve navigation by providing context on where you are, by using the tree view. As a side node, this can be achieved by navigating to the "Folder tree" and then using the central view as usual to navigate into folders. This will be reflected on the left side too, but not if you navigate from the main files view.
I would mark this as a feature request, as the previous Nextcloud versions did not offer this either. As with any feature request, we cannot promise that this will be addressed, but may take it into account if the issue gains enough upvotes.
Thank you for using Nextcloud!