Cursor Adds Side Chats: Durable Agent Threads You Can @-Mention Back Into the Main Conversation
Cursor introduced Side chats: separate, durable agent conversations that run alongside a main chat and can be @-mentioned to pull context back.
Cursor shipped Side chats, a way to branch off questions and exploration without derailing the main agent conversation.
The key detail is that a side chat is not just a temporary scratchpad: Cursor describes each side chat as a durable, full agent conversation that you can follow up on, revisit later, and @-mention to pull context back into the main thread. (Cursor changelog 3.11)
One limitation to know before you go looking for the feature: side chats are local-only. They are not available in Cloud Agents, and remote-controlled chats fall into the same category. Details below.
What Side chats are
In Cursor’s Agents Window, you can open a side chat to investigate a tangent while keeping your main agent run intact.
Cursor says you can create a side chat using:
/side/btw- the plus button at the top of the chat panel
Cursor also notes that side chats inherit context from the main chat. (Cursor changelog 3.11)
Side chats shipped in Cursor 3.11 on July 10, 2026, in the same release as conversation search and the redesigned project and repo pickers. One behavior worth knowing before you reach for one: Cursor says side chats default to reading, searching, and answering rather than editing. That is what makes them safe to open mid-run -- the side chat researches while the main agent keeps executing. (Cursor changelog 3.11)
Side chats are local-only: not in Cloud Agents or Remote Control
If you cannot find side chats in a cloud agent or in a session you are driving from your phone, the feature is not missing from your build. It is not there yet.
Asked about exactly this on Cursor's community forum, Cursor staff confirmed the limitation on July 13, 2026:
Side chats are currently local-only. They aren't yet available for Cloud Agents (and due to how Remote Control is architected, remote-controlled chats fall into this category as well), but support for this is coming soon.
The reason given was that Cursor's local and cloud agent loops still differ, and that the gap is being worked on. (forum.cursor.com thread 165571)
"Coming soon" is a promise with a shelf life, so here is the checkable state of it rather than a restatement: as of August 5, 2026, no Cursor changelog entry published between the 3.11 release and August 3, 2026 announces side chat support for Cloud Agents or Remote Control. Treat side chats as a local-only feature until Cursor says otherwise in its changelog.
Why it matters
Side chats are a small UI feature with a big workflow payoff:
- Fast clarification without context collapse. Ask “what does this file do?” or “what are the alternatives?” without pushing the main agent thread off track.
- Parallel investigation. Keep the main agent focused on execution while you use a side chat to sanity-check an approach, gather constraints, or explore a redesign.
- Reusable subthreads. If a side chat becomes the “design discussion,” you can keep it as a durable reference and pull it back in by @-mentioning it.
Sources
- Cursor changelog 3.11, "Side Chats and Conversation Search" (July 10, 2026): https://cursor.com/changelog/side-chat
- Cursor community forum, "3.11 Side chats unavailable in cloud-agent remote-control" (July 13, 2026), staff reply confirming the local-only limitation: https://forum.cursor.com/t/3-11-side-chats-unavailable-in-cloud-agent-remote-control/165571
- Cursor announcement on X (cited as published, not relied on): https://x.com/cursor_ai/status/2075686268113916023
Provenance note, re-verified 2026-08-05: every feature claim on this page -- the /side, /btw,
and plus-button entry points, context inheritance from the main chat, the durable full-agent-
conversation framing, @-mentioning a side chat back into the main thread, the read-search-answer
default, and the Cursor 3.11 / July 10, 2026 release date -- was checked word for word against the
version-anchored Cursor changelog entry above. The local-only limitation was checked against the
forum thread's staff reply. The X announcement is listed because it is where Cursor first posted
the news, but no claim here rests on it: x.com returns HTTP 402 to automated requests, so an
X-only citation cannot be re-verified on a later run.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Side chats in Cursor?
Cursor says Side chats are separate agent conversations you can open alongside your main chat to ask questions or explore tangents without interrupting the main agent thread.
How do you create a Side chat?
Per Cursor’s changelog, you can create a side chat with /side, /btw, or the plus button at the top of the chat panel.
Can a Side chat edit your code?
Not by default. Cursor says side chats focus on reading, searching, and answering, which is why they are safe to open while a main agent run is still executing. Use them to ask clarification questions, research alternatives, and sanity-check a decision.
Which Cursor version added Side chats?
Cursor 3.11, released July 10, 2026. The same release added conversation search across agent transcripts and redesigned project and repo pickers.
Can you bring Side chat context back into the main conversation?
Yes. Cursor says each side chat is a durable, full agent conversation you can @-mention to pull context back into the main thread.
Why can't I open a Side chat in a Cloud Agent or Remote Control session?
Because side chats are local-only. Cursor staff confirmed on July 13, 2026 that side chats are not yet available for Cloud Agents, and that remote-controlled chats fall into the same category because of how Remote Control is architected. Cursor said support was coming soon; no Cursor changelog entry through August 3, 2026 announces it as shipped.