---
title: "Manage your sidebar options"
---
import useBaseUrl from '@docusaurus/useBaseUrl';

<PlanAvailability slug="all-commercial" />

Using Mattermost in a web browser or the desktop app, you can customize your Mattermost sidebar based on your preferences. Select the gear icon <img src={useBaseUrl('/img/ui/settings-outline_F08BB.svg')} alt="Use the Settings icon to customize your Mattermost user experience." className="theme-icon" /> next to your profile picture, then select **Sidebar**.

Your channel sidebar includes [enhanced sidebar features](/end-user-guide/preferences/customize-your-channel-sidebar), including custom, collapsible channel categories, drag and drop, unread filtering, channel sorting options, and more.

<Note>

- The following sidebar settings apply to your current sidebar only.
- You must manage sidebar settings individually for every team you're a member of.
- You can manage these settings in a web browser or the desktop app. You can't manage these channel sidebar settings using the Mattermost mobile app.

</Note>

## Group unread channels separately

You can control whether unread channels are grouped together separately in the channel sidebar, unless your system admin has [disabled your ability to do so](/administration-guide/configure/experimental-configuration-settings#group-unread-channels).

Select **Sidebar Settings \> Group unread channels separately \> Edit** to group unread channels at the top of the channel sidebar in an **Unreads** category.

## Number of direct messages to show

You can set the default number of direct messages to show in the channel sidebar.

Select **Sidebar Settings \> Number of direct messages to show \> Edit** to define a default number of direct messages.

You can update the number of direct messages displayed in the channel sidebar at any time, regardless of the default you set. See the [manage direct messages](/end-user-guide/preferences/customize-your-channel-sidebar#manage-direct-messages) documentation for details.