fix(FN-6951): preserve settings saves and inline file changes

.changeset/settings-default-surfaces.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@runfusion/fusion": patch
+---
+
+Preserve unrelated global settings when saving Settings sections, and graduate Chat Rooms, Goals, Memory, Insights, Skills, and Todo to default-on dashboard surfaces.

.changeset/task-card-files-changed-inline.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@runfusion/fusion": patch
+---
+
+Open task-card files changed actions in the inline task detail Changes tab instead of the task modal.

packages/dashboard/app/App.tsx

@@ -556,8 +556,12 @@ function AppInner() {
   /*
   FNXC:Navigation 2026-06-22-00:00:
   Snapshot of the task whose detail is shown in the main panel (Board card click → full-panel detail). Kept as a snapshot so the view survives a tasks revalidation; renderMainContent prefers the live row from `tasks` by id and falls back to this snapshot.
+
+  FNXC:TaskDetail 2026-06-23-00:41:
+  Board task-card secondary actions can deep-link into the inline main-panel task detail. Files-changed must land on the embedded Changes tab instead of reopening the task in the modal path.
   */
   const [mainPanelDetailTask, setMainPanelDetailTask] = useState<Task | TaskDetail | null>(null);
+  const [mainPanelDetailInitialTab, setMainPanelDetailInitialTab] = useState<DetailTaskTab>("chat");
   const boardScrollSnapshotRef = useRef<BoardScrollSnapshot | null>(null);
   const pendingBoardScrollRestoreRef = useRef(false);
 
@@ -1113,7 +1117,8 @@ function AppInner() {
     previousCapacityRiskTodoThresholdRef.current = capacityRiskTodoThreshold;
   }, [settingsLoaded, capacityRiskBannerEnabled, capacityRiskTodoThreshold, currentProject?.id]);
 
-  const skillsEnabled = experimentalFeatures.skillsView === true;
+  /* FNXC:DefaultNavigation 2026-06-23-01:26: Skills graduated from Experimental and should remain visible on upgrades even when stale `experimentalFeatures.skillsView=false` is present. */
+  const skillsEnabled = true;
   const nodesEnabled = experimentalFeatures.nodesView === true;
   const researchEnabled = experimentalFeatures.researchView === true;
   const evalsEnabled = experimentalFeatures.evalsView === true;
@@ -1276,15 +1281,6 @@ function AppInner() {
     addToast,
   });
 
-  const handleOpenDetailWithTab = useCallback((task: Task | TaskDetail, initialTab: "changes" | "retries" | "workflow") => {
-    if (initialTab === "changes") {
-      modalManager.openDetailWithChangesTab(task);
-    } else {
-      modalManager.openDetailTask(task, initialTab);
-    }
-    pushNav({ type: "modal", close: modalManager.closeDetailTask });
-  }, [modalManager, pushNav]);
-
   const handleOpenTaskLogs = useCallback(async (taskId: string) => {
     try {
       const task = await fetchTaskDetail(taskId, currentProject?.id);
@@ -1332,9 +1328,10 @@ function AppInner() {
   FNXC:Navigation 2026-06-22-00:00:
   Board card clicks open task detail as a full main-content view that replaces the board (design: "Full main panel (replaces board)"), instead of the TaskDetailModal overlay. We store a snapshot of the clicked task and navigate to the registered `task-detail` view; renderMainContent renders TaskDetailContent embedded with a Back-to-board button. Only the Board uses this handler — list-view split-detail, right-dock cards, and other openDetail callers keep the modal behavior.
   */
-  const openTaskDetailInMainPanel = useCallback((task: Task | TaskDetail) => {
+  const openTaskDetailInMainPanel = useCallback((task: Task | TaskDetail, initialTab: DetailTaskTab = "chat") => {
     captureCurrentBoardScrollSnapshot();
     setMainPanelDetailTask(task);
+    setMainPanelDetailInitialTab(initialTab);
     handleTaskViewChange("task-detail");
   }, [captureCurrentBoardScrollSnapshot, handleTaskViewChange]);
 
@@ -1342,9 +1339,19 @@ function AppInner() {
   const closeTaskDetailMainPanel = useCallback(() => {
     pendingBoardScrollRestoreRef.current = true;
     setMainPanelDetailTask(null);
+    setMainPanelDetailInitialTab("chat");
     handleTaskViewChange("board");
   }, [handleTaskViewChange]);
 
+  const handleOpenDetailWithTab = useCallback((task: Task | TaskDetail, initialTab: "changes" | "retries" | "workflow") => {
+    if (initialTab === "changes") {
+      openTaskDetailInMainPanel(task, "changes");
+      return;
+    }
+    modalManager.openDetailTask(task, initialTab);
+    pushNav({ type: "modal", close: modalManager.closeDetailTask });
+  }, [modalManager, openTaskDetailInMainPanel, pushNav]);
+
   /*
   FNXC:Settings 2026-06-22-00:00:
   Settings is now a main-content destination. The header/sidebar entry points navigate to the embedded `settings` view (carrying the requested deep-link section via setSettingsSection) instead of opening the modal overlay. handleTaskViewChange owns the back-navigation history entry, so no modal nav entry is pushed here.
@@ -2117,6 +2124,7 @@ function AppInner() {
                 projectId={currentProject?.id}
                 tasks={tasks}
                 embedded
+                initialTab={mainPanelDetailInitialTab}
                 /*
                 FNXC:TaskDetail 2026-06-22-18:40:
                 Board-card detail (full main panel) renders its "Back to board" affordance inside TaskDetailContent's gray header (far right, across from the task id) instead of a separate back-row above the content. The prop only renders the header back button when both embedded and onBackToBoard are present, so ListView split-pane and modal usages stay unaffected.
@@ -2124,7 +2132,10 @@ function AppInner() {
                 onBackToBoard={closeTaskDetailMainPanel}
                 /* FNXC:FloatingWindow 2026-06-22-21:10: Popping out from the board's full-panel detail also returns the main panel to the board, so the board (not the emptied detail) sits behind the floating window. */
                 onPopOut={(task) => { popOutTaskDetail(task); closeTaskDetailMainPanel(); }}
-                onOpenDetail={(value) => setMainPanelDetailTask(value)}
+                onOpenDetail={(value) => {
+                  setMainPanelDetailTask(value);
+                  setMainPanelDetailInitialTab("chat");
+                }}
                 onMoveTask={moveTask}
                 onDeleteTask={deleteTask}
                 onMergeTask={mergeTask}

packages/dashboard/app/__tests__/settings-save-split.test.ts

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
  *   - one global + one project edit in a single session produce the expected
  *     `updateGlobalSettings` / `updateSettings` patches with strict scope routing;
  *   - clearing a project override emits null-as-delete;
+ *   - untouched global values are NOT written (changed-only gate);
  *   - untouched inherited project values are NOT written (changed-only gate);
  *   - explicit clears of global keys emit null, plain undefined is dropped.
  *
@@ -62,6 +63,113 @@ describe("splitSettingsSave", () => {
     expect(projectPatch).toEqual({ maxConcurrent: 5 });
   });
 
+  it("does not write global values that match the initial global-scoped value", () => {
+    const initialScopedValues = {
+      global: {
+        ntfyEnabled: true,
+        ntfyTopic: "alerts",
+        ntfyEvents: ["failed", "merged"],
+        notificationProviders: [{ id: "ntfy-main", type: "ntfy", enabled: true }],
+        experimentalFeatures: { insights: true },
+      },
+      project: {},
+    } as never;
+
+    const payload: Record<string, unknown> = {
+      ntfyEnabled: true,
+      ntfyTopic: "alerts",
+      ntfyEvents: ["failed", "merged"],
+      notificationProviders: [{ id: "ntfy-main", type: "ntfy", enabled: true }],
+      experimentalFeatures: { insights: true },
+    };
+
+    const { globalPatch } = splitSettingsSave({
+      payload,
+      initialValues: {
+        ntfyEnabled: true,
+        ntfyTopic: "alerts",
+        ntfyEvents: ["failed", "merged"],
+        notificationProviders: [{ id: "ntfy-main", type: "ntfy", enabled: true }],
+        experimentalFeatures: { insights: true },
+      } as never,
+      initialScopedValues,
+      activeSection: "notifications",
+    });
+
+    expect(globalPatch).toEqual({});
+  });
+
+  it("writes only the changed global value and does not carry unrelated defaults", () => {
+    const initialValues = {
+      colorTheme: "ocean",
+      ntfyEnabled: true,
+      ntfyTopic: "alerts",
+      modelOnboardingComplete: true,
+      experimentalFeatures: { insights: true },
+    } as never;
+    const initialScopedValues = {
+      global: {
+        colorTheme: "ocean",
+        ntfyEnabled: true,
+        ntfyTopic: "alerts",
+        modelOnboardingComplete: true,
+        experimentalFeatures: { insights: true },
+      },
+      project: {},
+    } as never;
+
+    const payload: Record<string, unknown> = {
+      colorTheme: "shadcn-gray-blue",
+      ntfyEnabled: false,
+      ntfyTopic: undefined,
+      modelOnboardingComplete: undefined,
+      experimentalFeatures: { insights: true },
+    };
+
+    const { globalPatch } = splitSettingsSave({
+      payload,
+      initialValues,
+      initialScopedValues,
+      activeSection: "appearance",
+    });
+
+    expect(globalPatch).toEqual({ colorTheme: "shadcn-gray-blue" });
+  });
+
+  it("does not carry notification defaults when saving experimental features", () => {
+    const initialValues = {
+      experimentalFeatures: { researchView: true },
+      ntfyEnabled: true,
+      ntfyTopic: "alerts",
+      modelOnboardingComplete: true,
+    } as never;
+    const initialScopedValues = {
+      global: {
+        experimentalFeatures: { researchView: true },
+        ntfyEnabled: true,
+        ntfyTopic: "alerts",
+        modelOnboardingComplete: true,
+      },
+      project: {},
+    } as never;
+
+    const payload: Record<string, unknown> = {
+      experimentalFeatures: { researchView: true, evalsView: true },
+      ntfyEnabled: false,
+      ntfyTopic: undefined,
+      modelOnboardingComplete: undefined,
+    };
+
+    const { globalPatch } = splitSettingsSave({
+      payload,
+      initialValues,
+      initialScopedValues,
+      activeSection: "experimental",
+    });
+
+    expect(globalPatch).toEqual({ experimentalFeatures: { researchView: true, evalsView: true } });
+  });
+
   it("does not write project values that match the initial project-scoped value (changed-only gate)", () => {
     // The gate compares the payload value against the initial *project-scoped*
     // value: a value equal to its initial override is not re-written. This is
@@ -190,9 +298,7 @@ describe("splitSettingsSave", () => {
       activeSection: "notifications",
     });
 
-    // undefined survives the object but is dropped by JSON.stringify on the wire;
+    expect(globalPatch).toEqual({});
-    // the patch must not coerce it to null when there was nothing to clear.
-    expect(globalPatch.ntfyTopic).toBeUndefined();
   });
 
   it("routes githubTrackingDefaultRepo to global only on the global-general section", () => {

packages/dashboard/app/components/ChatView.tsx

@@ -986,7 +986,7 @@ const ChatMessageItem = memo(function ChatMessageItem({
   );
 });
 
-export function ChatView({ projectId, addToast, experimentalFeatures, floating = false, onPopOut, onMaximize, onMinimize, onClose }: ChatViewProps) {
+export function ChatView({ projectId, addToast, floating = false, onPopOut, onMaximize, onMinimize, onClose }: ChatViewProps) {
   const { t } = useTranslation("app");
   useEffect(() => {
     recordResumeEvent({
@@ -1035,7 +1035,8 @@ export function ChatView({ projectId, addToast, experimentalFeatures, floating =
   } = useChat(projectId, addToast);
 
   const [showNewDialog, setShowNewDialog] = useState(false);
-  const chatRoomsEnabled = experimentalFeatures?.chatRooms === true;
+  /* FNXC:ChatRooms 2026-06-23-01:28: Chat Rooms graduated from Experimental; stale false flags should not hide rooms in the main view, popout modal, or quick-chat surfaces. */
+  const chatRoomsEnabled = true;
   const [chatScope, setChatScope] = useState<"direct" | "rooms">(() => {
     try {
       const persistedScope = localStorage.getItem(CHAT_SCOPE_STORAGE_KEY);

packages/dashboard/app/components/SettingsModal.tsx

@@ -297,10 +297,19 @@ The Roadmaps dashboard view and experiment were removed from the product surface
 
 FNXC:SettingsExperimental 2026-06-22-18:00:
 Right Dock Panel is no longer experimental: keep honoring the dock as always-on in App, but hide any stale persisted `rightDock` setting from the Experimental list.
+
+FNXC:SettingsExperimental 2026-06-23-01:31:
+Chat Rooms, Goals, Memory, Insights, Skills, and Todo graduated from Experimental. Hide stale persisted flags so users cannot accidentally disable now-default dashboard surfaces during upgrades.
 */
 const HIDDEN_EXPERIMENTAL_FEATURE_KEYS = new Set<string>([
+  "chatRooms",
+  "goalsView",
+  "insights",
+  "memoryView",
   "roadmap",
   "rightDock",
+  "skillsView",
+  "todoView",
   "workflowColumns",
   "workflowGraphExecutor",
   "workflowInterpreterDualObserve",

packages/dashboard/app/components/TaskChatTab.tsx

@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ function getModelForRole(
   return getExplicitModelForRole(task, role) ?? getRuntimeModelForRole(entries, role) ?? getEffectiveModelForRole(effectiveModels, role);
 }
 
-function TaskChatAgentIcon({ label, modelInfo, role }: { label: string; modelInfo: TaskChatModelInfo | null; role: AgentLogRole }) {
+function TaskChatAgentIcon({ label, modelInfo }: { label: string; modelInfo: TaskChatModelInfo | null }) {
   if (modelInfo?.provider) {
     const title = modelInfo.modelId ? `${label}: ${modelInfo.provider}/${modelInfo.modelId}` : `${label}: ${modelInfo.provider}`;
     return (
@@ -889,7 +889,7 @@ export function TaskChatTab({ task, projectId, active, addToast, sessionLive, on
             return (
               <section className="task-chat-group" key={`${item.role ?? "agent"}-${itemIndex}`} aria-label={t("taskChat.agentMessages", "{{label}} messages", { label: item.label })}>
                 <header className="task-chat-group-header">
-                  <TaskChatAgentIcon label={item.label} modelInfo={modelInfo} role={item.role} />
+                  <TaskChatAgentIcon label={item.label} modelInfo={modelInfo} />
                   <div>
                     <div className="task-chat-role-label">{item.label}</div>
                     <div className="task-chat-group-meta">

packages/dashboard/app/components/__tests__/ChatView.test.tsx

@@ -3566,12 +3566,12 @@ describe("Direct/Rooms scope toggle", () => {
     localStorage.clear();
   });
 
-  it("hides rooms UI when chatRooms experimental flag is off", async () => {
+  it("shows rooms UI when chatRooms experimental flag is missing", async () => {
     setupMockChat({ sessions: [], filteredSessions: [] });
 
     await renderWithAct(<ChatView projectId="proj-123" addToast={vi.fn()} experimentalFeatures={{}} />);
 
-    expect(screen.queryByTestId("chat-sidebar-scope-rooms")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByTestId("chat-sidebar-scope-rooms")).toBeInTheDocument();
     expect(screen.queryByTestId("chat-sidebar-rooms")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
@@ -3668,14 +3668,14 @@ describe("Direct/Rooms scope toggle", () => {
     });
   });
 
-  it("forces direct scope when localStorage persisted rooms but chatRooms is off", async () => {
+  it("restores persisted rooms scope when chatRooms experimental flag is missing", async () => {
     setupMockChat({ sessions: [], filteredSessions: [] });
     localStorage.setItem("fusion:chat-scope", "rooms");
 
     await renderWithAct(<ChatView projectId="proj-123" addToast={vi.fn()} experimentalFeatures={{}} />);
 
-    expect(screen.queryByTestId("chat-sidebar-scope-rooms")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByTestId("chat-sidebar-scope-rooms")).toHaveAttribute("aria-selected", "true");
-    expect(screen.getByTestId("chat-search-input")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByTestId("chat-sidebar-rooms-empty")).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
   it("persists scope in localStorage and restores Rooms on next mount", async () => {

packages/dashboard/app/components/__tests__/SettingsModal.test.tsx

@@ -3842,8 +3842,8 @@ describe("SettingsModal", () => {
       renderModal();
       await openExperimentalFeaturesSection();
 
-      // Known features are always shown even with no custom features configured.
+      // Known features that remain experimental are shown even with no custom features configured.
-      expect(screen.getByText("Insights")).toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(screen.queryByText("Insights")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
       // FNXC:SettingsExperimental 2026-06-22-18:50: Roadmaps was removed from Experimental and must not render as a known or stale toggle.
       expect(screen.queryByText("Roadmaps")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
 
@@ -3851,7 +3851,6 @@ describe("SettingsModal", () => {
         "Research View",
         "Evals View",
         "Subtask Breakdown",
-        "Chat Rooms",
         "Sandbox (command isolation)",
         "Planning-style Agent Onboarding",
       ]) {
@@ -4047,12 +4046,13 @@ describe("SettingsModal", () => {
     it("does not emit legacy alias null deletes when canonical key is absent", async () => {
       mockFetchSettings.mockResolvedValue({
         ...defaultSettings,
-        experimentalFeatures: { insights: true },
+        experimentalFeatures: { "my-feature": false },
       });
 
       renderModal();
 
       await openExperimentalFeaturesSection();
+      await userEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText("my-feature"));
 
       await userEvent.click(screen.getByText("Save"));
 
@@ -4061,7 +4061,7 @@ describe("SettingsModal", () => {
       });
 
       const payload = mockUpdateGlobalSettings.mock.calls[0][0];
-      expect(payload.experimentalFeatures).toEqual({ insights: true });
+      expect(payload.experimentalFeatures).toEqual({ "my-feature": true });
       expect(payload.experimentalFeatures.devServer).toBeUndefined();
     });
 
@@ -4073,6 +4073,7 @@ describe("SettingsModal", () => {
           workflowGraphExecutor: false,
           workflowInterpreterDualObserve: true,
           insights: true,
+          "my-feature": false,
         },
       });
 
@@ -4083,6 +4084,9 @@ describe("SettingsModal", () => {
       expect(screen.queryByText("workflowColumns")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
       expect(screen.queryByText("workflowGraphExecutor")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
       expect(screen.queryByText(/dual-observe parity/i)).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(screen.queryByText("Insights")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+
+      await userEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText("my-feature"));
 
       await userEvent.click(screen.getByText("Save"));
 
@@ -4099,6 +4103,7 @@ describe("SettingsModal", () => {
         workflowGraphExecutor: false,
         workflowInterpreterDualObserve: true,
         insights: true,
+        "my-feature": true,
       });
     });
 
@@ -4245,8 +4250,9 @@ describe("SettingsModal", () => {
 
       await openExperimentalFeaturesSection();
 
-      // Known features should always be shown regardless of settings
+      // Known features that remain experimental should always be shown regardless of settings.
-      expect(screen.getByText("Insights")).toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(screen.getByText("Dev Server")).toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(screen.queryByText("Insights")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
       expect(screen.queryByText("Roadmaps")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
     });
 

packages/dashboard/app/components/__tests__/navigation-history.test.tsx

@@ -146,12 +146,27 @@ vi.mock("../../components/model-onboarding-state", () => ({
 }));
 
 vi.mock("../../components/Board", () => ({
-  Board: ({ tasks, onOpenDetail }: { tasks: Task[]; onOpenDetail: (task: Task) => void }) => (
+  Board: ({
+    tasks,
+    onOpenDetail,
+    onOpenDetailWithTab,
+  }: {
+    tasks: Task[];
+    onOpenDetail: (task: Task) => void;
+    onOpenDetailWithTab?: (task: Task, initialTab: "changes" | "retries" | "workflow") => void;
+  }) => (
     <div data-testid="board-view">
       {tasks.map((task) => (
-        <button key={task.id} type="button" data-testid={`open-task-${task.id}`} onClick={() => onOpenDetail(task)}>
+        <div key={task.id}>
-          {task.title}
+          <button type="button" data-testid={`open-task-${task.id}`} onClick={() => onOpenDetail(task)}>
-        </button>
+            {task.title}
+          </button>
+          {task.modifiedFiles && task.modifiedFiles.length > 0 ? (
+            <button type="button" data-testid={`open-task-changes-${task.id}`} onClick={() => onOpenDetailWithTab?.(task, "changes")}>
+              Files changed
+            </button>
+          ) : null}
+        </div>
       ))}
     </div>
   ),
@@ -171,9 +186,11 @@ vi.mock("../../components/TaskDetailModal", () => ({
   TaskDetailContent: ({
     task,
     onBackToBoard,
+    initialTab,
   }: {
     task: { id: string; title?: string };
     onBackToBoard?: () => void;
+    initialTab?: string;
   }) => (
     <div data-testid="task-detail-main-panel-content">
       {onBackToBoard && (
@@ -181,6 +198,7 @@ vi.mock("../../components/TaskDetailModal", () => ({
           Back to board
         </button>
       )}
+      <p>tab:{initialTab ?? "chat"}</p>
       <h2>{task.title ?? task.id}</h2>
     </div>
   ),
@@ -656,6 +674,44 @@ describe("Navigation history integration", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("opens board files-changed actions inline on the changes tab instead of in a modal", async () => {
+    const task = {
+      ...makeTask("FN-1", "Inline Changes Detail"),
+      modifiedFiles: ["packages/dashboard/app/App.tsx"],
+    };
+    mockUseTasks.mockImplementation(() => ({
+      tasks: [task],
+      createTask: mockCreateTask,
+      moveTask: vi.fn(),
+      deleteTask: vi.fn(),
+      mergeTask: vi.fn(),
+      retryTask: vi.fn(),
+      updateTask: vi.fn(),
+      duplicateTask: vi.fn(),
+      archiveTask: vi.fn(),
+      unarchiveTask: vi.fn(),
+      archiveAllDone: vi.fn(),
+      refreshTasks: vi.fn(),
+    }));
+
+    await renderMobileAppAndWait();
+
+    // FNXC:TaskDetail 2026-06-23-00:41: Board files-changed chips must deep-link to the embedded main-panel Changes tab. They should not open the TaskDetailModal, otherwise the board loses the inline changes-page flow.
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByTestId("open-task-changes-FN-1"));
+
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(screen.getByTestId("task-detail-main-panel-content")).toBeTruthy();
+      expect(screen.getByText("tab:changes")).toBeTruthy();
+    });
+    expect(screen.queryByTestId("task-detail-modal")).toBeNull();
+
+    dispatchPopState({ navIndex: 0 });
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(screen.queryByTestId("task-detail-main-panel-content")).toBeNull();
+      expect(screen.getByTestId("board-view")).toBeTruthy();
+    });
+  });
+
   // 5. Verify useNavigationHistory is called with enabled=true on mobile
   it("calls useNavigationHistory with enabled=true on mobile", async () => {
     mockUseViewportMode.mockReturnValue("mobile");

packages/dashboard/app/components/settings/save-split.ts

@@ -8,11 +8,14 @@
  *   1. Global keys are routed via {@link isGlobalSettingsKey} to the global
  *      patch; project keys via {@link isProjectSettingsKey} to the project
  *      patch. (A key can be neither — server-only/UI-only fields are dropped.)
- *   2. null-as-delete: an explicit clear (current value `undefined`, but the
+ *   2. Global and project writes are changed-only. This prevents any Settings
+ *      save from re-sending default global values that can overwrite unrelated
+ *      user preferences such as notifications or onboarding state.
+ *   3. null-as-delete: an explicit clear (current value `undefined`, but the
  *      initial value was defined) is written as `null` so it survives
  *      `JSON.stringify` and tells the server to delete the key. Plain
  *      `undefined` is dropped.
- *   3. changed-only project writes: an inherited/effective project value that
+ *   4. changed-only project writes: an inherited/effective project value that
  *      the user never touched is NOT serialized as an explicit override —
  *      doing so would silently break inheritance for every project setting on
  *      every save. Only keys whose value differs from the initial project-scoped
@@ -42,6 +45,119 @@ export const MODEL_LANE_KEYS = [
 
 const MODEL_LANE_KEY_SET = new Set<string>(MODEL_LANE_KEYS);
 
+const GLOBAL_SECTION_KEYS: Record<string, ReadonlySet<string>> = {
+  appearance: new Set([
+    "themeMode",
+    "colorTheme",
+    "dashboardFontScalePct",
+    "shadcnCustomColors",
+  ]),
+  notifications: new Set([
+    "ntfyEnabled",
+    "ntfyTopic",
+    "ntfyBaseUrl",
+    "ntfyAccessToken",
+    "ntfyEvents",
+    "ntfyDashboardHost",
+    "failureNotificationDelayMs",
+    "failureNotificationMode",
+    "webhookEnabled",
+    "webhookUrl",
+    "webhookFormat",
+    "webhookEvents",
+    "notificationProviders",
+  ]),
+  experimental: new Set(["experimentalFeatures"]),
+  "global-general": new Set([
+    "githubTrackingDefaultRepo",
+    "language",
+    "persistAgentToolOutput",
+    "persistAgentThinkingLogPermanent",
+    "persistAgentThinkingLogEphemeral",
+    "fnBinaryCheckEnabled",
+    "updateCheckEnabled",
+    "updateCheckFrequency",
+    "autoReloadOnVersionChange",
+  ]),
+  "global-models": new Set([
+    "defaultProvider",
+    "defaultModelId",
+    "fallbackProvider",
+    "fallbackModelId",
+    "defaultThinkingLevel",
+    "modelRouterEnabled",
+    "modelRouterCheapProvider",
+    "modelRouterCheapModelId",
+    "opencodeGoModelSync",
+    "openrouterAppAttribution",
+    "openrouterModelFilters",
+    "openrouterModelSync",
+    "openrouterProviderPreferences",
+    "executionGlobalProvider",
+    "executionGlobalModelId",
+    "planningGlobalProvider",
+    "planningGlobalModelId",
+    "validatorGlobalProvider",
+    "validatorGlobalModelId",
+    "titleSummarizerGlobalProvider",
+    "titleSummarizerGlobalModelId",
+  ]),
+  "project-models": new Set([
+    "defaultProvider",
+    "defaultModelId",
+    "fallbackProvider",
+    "fallbackModelId",
+    "defaultThinkingLevel",
+    "modelRouterEnabled",
+    "modelRouterCheapProvider",
+    "modelRouterCheapModelId",
+    "opencodeGoModelSync",
+    "openrouterAppAttribution",
+    "openrouterModelFilters",
+    "openrouterModelSync",
+    "openrouterProviderPreferences",
+    "executionGlobalProvider",
+    "executionGlobalModelId",
+    "planningGlobalProvider",
+    "planningGlobalModelId",
+    "validatorGlobalProvider",
+    "validatorGlobalModelId",
+    "titleSummarizerGlobalProvider",
+    "titleSummarizerGlobalModelId",
+  ]),
+  "node-sync": new Set([
+    "settingsSyncEnabled",
+    "settingsSyncAuth",
+    "settingsSyncInterval",
+    "settingsSyncConflictResolution",
+  ]),
+  "research-global": new Set([
+    "researchGlobalDefaults",
+    "researchGlobalEnabled",
+    "researchGlobalMaxConcurrentRuns",
+    "researchGlobalDefaultTimeout",
+    "researchGlobalMaxSourcesPerRun",
+    "researchGlobalMaxSynthesisRounds",
+    "researchGlobalWebSearchProvider",
+    "researchGlobalSearxngUrl",
+    "researchGlobalBraveApiKey",
+    "researchGlobalGoogleSearchApiKey",
+    "researchGlobalGoogleSearchCx",
+    "researchGlobalTavilyApiKey",
+    "researchGlobalGitHubEnabled",
+    "researchGlobalLocalDocsEnabled",
+    "researchGlobalMaxSearchResults",
+    "researchGlobalFetchTimeoutMs",
+    "researchGlobalUserAgent",
+  ]),
+  remote: new Set(["remoteAccess"]),
+};
+
+function isGlobalKeyAllowedForSection(key: string, activeSection: string): boolean {
+  const sectionKeys = GLOBAL_SECTION_KEYS[activeSection];
+  return !sectionKeys || sectionKeys.has(key);
+}
+
 export interface SaveSplitInput {
   /** The fully-normalized form payload (after trimming/normalization). */
   payload: Record<string, unknown>;
@@ -58,6 +174,31 @@ export interface SaveSplitResult {
   projectPatch: Partial<Settings>;
 }
 
+function hasOwn(obj: object | null | undefined, key: string): boolean {
+  return !!obj && Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(obj, key);
+}
+
+function isPlainObject(value: unknown): value is Record<string, unknown> {
+  return typeof value === "object" && value !== null && !Array.isArray(value);
+}
+
+function settingsValueEquals(left: unknown, right: unknown): boolean {
+  if (Object.is(left, right)) return true;
+  if (Array.isArray(left) || Array.isArray(right)) {
+    if (!Array.isArray(left) || !Array.isArray(right)) return false;
+    if (left.length !== right.length) return false;
+    return left.every((item, index) => settingsValueEquals(item, right[index]));
+  }
+  if (isPlainObject(left) || isPlainObject(right)) {
+    if (!isPlainObject(left) || !isPlainObject(right)) return false;
+    const leftKeys = Object.keys(left);
+    const rightKeys = Object.keys(right);
+    if (leftKeys.length !== rightKeys.length) return false;
+    return leftKeys.every((key) => hasOwn(right, key) && settingsValueEquals(left[key], right[key]));
+  }
+  return false;
+}
+
 /**
  * Split a normalized settings form payload into global and project patches,
  * preserving null-as-delete and changed-only-project-write semantics.
@@ -85,11 +226,37 @@ export function splitSettingsSave({
       continue;
     }
     if (isGlobalSettingsKey(key)) {
-      // null-as-delete: explicit clear is sent as null, plain undefined dropped.
+      /*
-      const initialValue = initialValues?.[key as keyof GlobalSettings];
+      FNXC:SettingsPersistence 2026-06-23-00:55:
-      if (value === undefined && initialValue !== undefined) {
+      Global settings saves must be changed-only, just like project settings. The Settings form carries full default-shaped global values, so emitting unchanged globals can overwrite unrelated user preferences (notifications, onboarding state, theme) when a user saves another section or when experimental-feature normalization allocates a fresh but equivalent object.
+
+      FNXC:SettingsPersistence 2026-06-23-01:18:
+      Global Settings saves are also gated by the active settings section. The form can contain stale/default values from sections the user did not edit, so changed-only comparison alone cannot distinguish an intentional Appearance edit from a default-filled Notifications or onboarding field.
+      */
+      if (!isGlobalKeyAllowedForSection(key, activeSection)) {
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      if (value === undefined && key === "ntfyAccessToken" && activeSection === "notifications") {
         (globalPatch as Record<string, unknown>)[key] = null;
-      } else {
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      const hasScopedInitial = hasOwn(initialScopedValues?.global, key);
+      const hasMergedInitial = hasOwn(initialValues, key);
+      const initialValue = hasScopedInitial
+        ? initialScopedValues?.global?.[key as keyof GlobalSettings]
+        : initialValues?.[key as keyof GlobalSettings];
+      const hasInitialValue = hasScopedInitial || hasMergedInitial;
+
+      if (settingsValueEquals(value, initialValue)) {
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      // null-as-delete: explicit clear is sent as null, plain undefined dropped.
+      if (value === undefined && hasInitialValue && initialValue !== undefined) {
+        (globalPatch as Record<string, unknown>)[key] = null;
+      } else if (value !== undefined) {
         (globalPatch as Record<string, unknown>)[key] = value;
       }
     }
@@ -105,7 +272,7 @@ export function splitSettingsSave({
     const initialProjectValue = initialScopedValues?.project?.[key as keyof Settings];
 
     if (MODEL_LANE_KEY_SET.has(key)) {
-      if (value !== initialProjectValue) {
+      if (!settingsValueEquals(value, initialProjectValue)) {
         if (
           (value === undefined || value === null) &&
           initialProjectValue !== undefined &&
@@ -118,7 +285,7 @@ export function splitSettingsSave({
       }
     } else {
       // Changed-only gate + null-as-delete for non-model project settings.
-      if (value !== initialProjectValue) {
+      if (!settingsValueEquals(value, initialProjectValue)) {
         if (value === undefined && initialProjectValue !== undefined && initialProjectValue !== null) {
           (projectPatch as Record<string, unknown>)[key] = null;
         } else if (value !== undefined) {

packages/dashboard/app/hooks/useAppSettings.ts

@@ -62,11 +62,11 @@ export function useAppSettings(projectId?: string): UseAppSettingsResult {
   const [prAuthAvailable, setPrAuthAvailable] = useState(false);
   const [settingsLoaded, setSettingsLoaded] = useState(false);
   const [experimentalFeatures, setExperimentalFeatures] = useState<Record<string, boolean>>({});
-  const [insightsEnabled, setInsightsEnabled] = useState(false);
+  const [insightsEnabled, setInsightsEnabled] = useState(true);
-  const [memoryEnabled, setMemoryEnabled] = useState(false);
+  const [memoryEnabled, setMemoryEnabled] = useState(true);
   const [devServerEnabled, setDevServerEnabled] = useState(false);
-  const [todosEnabled, setTodosEnabled] = useState(false);
+  const [todosEnabled, setTodosEnabled] = useState(true);
-  const [goalsEnabled, setGoalsEnabled] = useState(false);
+  const [goalsEnabled, setGoalsEnabled] = useState(true);
   const [autoReloadOnVersionChange, setAutoReloadOnVersionChangeState] = useState(true);
   const autoMergeRef = useRef(autoMerge);
 
@@ -112,11 +112,15 @@ export function useAppSettings(projectId?: string): UseAppSettingsResult {
       setCapacityRiskTodoThreshold(settings.capacityRiskTodoThreshold ?? 20);
       setExperimentalFeatures(settings.experimentalFeatures ?? {});
       const features = settings.experimentalFeatures ?? {};
-      setInsightsEnabled(features.insights === true);
+      /*
-      setMemoryEnabled(features.memoryView === true);
+      FNXC:DefaultNavigation 2026-06-23-01:24:
+      Insights, Memory, Todo, and Goals graduated from experimental navigation. Keep them enabled regardless of missing or stale false experimental flags so upgrades keep the sidebar/header surfaces visible.
+      */
+      setInsightsEnabled(true);
+      setMemoryEnabled(true);
       setDevServerEnabled(features.devServerView === true || features.devServer === true);
-      setTodosEnabled(features.todoView === true);
+      setTodosEnabled(true);
-      setGoalsEnabled(features.goalsView === true);
+      setGoalsEnabled(true);
       // Sync the module-level auto-reload guard with the persisted setting
       const autoReload = settings.autoReloadOnVersionChange !== false;
       setAutoReloadOnVersionChangeState(autoReload);
@@ -129,11 +133,11 @@ export function useAppSettings(projectId?: string): UseAppSettingsResult {
   useEffect(() => {
     setSettingsLoaded(false);
     setExperimentalFeatures({});
-    setInsightsEnabled(false);
+    setInsightsEnabled(true);
-    setMemoryEnabled(false);
+    setMemoryEnabled(true);
     setDevServerEnabled(false);
-    setTodosEnabled(false);
+    setTodosEnabled(true);
-    setGoalsEnabled(false);
+    setGoalsEnabled(true);
     void refresh();
   }, [refresh]);