If you recently updated Google Antigravity to version 2.0.1 or higher and suddenly lost:
- your file explorer,
- workspace sidebar,
- code editor layout,
- or previous chat history,
you’re not alone.
After updating, both:
- Antigravity
- and Antigravity IDE
started opening the exact same agent-focused interface on my system, with the normal IDE layout completely missing.
This guide explains:
- what likely changed,
- how to restore the classic IDE workspace,
- and how to recover your previous chat history, settings, and extensions.
What Changed in Antigravity 2.0+
Based on the observed behavior after the 2.0.1 update, Google appears to have separated Antigravity into two distinct layers:
Antigravity (Core)
An agent-focused interface centered around:
- AI conversations,
- autonomous workflows,
- and background agent execution.
Antigravity IDE
The traditional Electron-based development environment containing:
- workspace explorer,
- local terminal,
- extension system,
- and editor layout.
The problem is that after the update, both launchers can end up opening the same agent-focused interface instead of the IDE workspace.
That makes it look like:
- your files disappeared,
- your workspaces were deleted,
- or your setup was reset.
Fortunately, the actual project files and chat databases are still stored locally.
Symptoms of the Bug
After updating to 2.0.1+, you may see:
- Missing file explorer sidebar
- No visible workspace folders
- Agent-only conversation interface
- Empty editor layout
- Missing extensions/themes
- Missing previous chat history
- Both launchers opening the same interface
This is especially alarming if you rely on Antigravity as your primary development workspace.
Quick Fix: Restore the IDE Workspace
The fastest workaround is to temporarily rename the updated app.asar package so the IDE falls back to its original workspace renderer.
Step 1: Close All Antigravity Processes
Fully close:
- Antigravity
- Antigravity IDE
Use Task Manager if necessary.
Step 2: Rename app.asar
Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:
cd "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\Antigravity\resources"
Rename-Item app.asar app.asar.bak
Now launch Antigravity IDE normally.
On my system, this restored:
- the workspace explorer,
- folder tree,
- code editor,
- and standard IDE layout.
Why This Works
Based on testing and reports from other users, the updated app.asar package appears to prioritize the newer agent-first interface layer.
Renaming it forces Electron to bypass that package and fall back to the original IDE rendering flow.
This is not necessarily the official intended architecture, but it consistently restored the classic IDE interface during testing.
Important Note
If you ever want to restore the newer agent interface again, simply reverse the rename:
Rename-Item app.asar.bak app.asar
Restoring Old Chat History and Workspace State
After restoring the IDE view, you may still notice:
- missing chat history,
- missing recent workspaces,
- missing settings,
- or empty conversation panels.
That happens because the update generates a new configuration directory.
Your old data still exists — it just lives in the previous profile folder.
Step 3: Copy the Old User Profile
Close Antigravity IDE completely.
Then:
- Press
Win + R - Enter:
%APPDATA%
- Open the Roaming directory
You should now see two folders:
Antigravity
Antigravity IDE
Step 4: Migrate the Old User Folder
Open:
Antigravity
Copy the folder named:
User
Then paste it into:
Antigravity IDE
When Windows prompts:
choose:
Replace files in destination
This restored:
- previous conversations,
- workspace state,
- and historical session data on my setup.
Fixing Missing Extensions and Themes
Some extensions may still fail to appear after restoring the profile.
This appears related to extension indexing after the update.
Step 5: Rebuild Extension State
Navigate to:
C:\Users\<YourUsername>\
Copy the contents of:
.antigravity
into:
.antigravity-ide
Then open:
.antigravity-ide\extensions\
Delete:
extensions.json
This forces the IDE to rebuild the extension index during the next launch.
After restarting Antigravity IDE, my extensions and themes reappeared correctly.
What Likely Caused the Issue
Based on observed behavior and discussions from other developers, the issue appears related to:
- shared Electron installation paths,
- launcher routing conflicts,
- and the transition toward the newer agent-first architecture.
The update also appears to generate:
- new profile directories,
- new extension indexes,
- and separate IDE configuration paths.
That separation likely explains why:
- chat history,
- themes,
- extensions,
- and workspace state initially appear missing.
Verification Checklist
After completing the recovery process, verify:
- File explorer sidebar restored
- Workspace folders visible
- Previous chats restored
- Extensions loaded correctly
- Themes rendering properly
- Terminal functioning normally
- Existing repositories accessible
Final Thoughts
The confusing part of this update is that it initially looks catastrophic:
- missing files,
- broken workspaces,
- deleted conversations,
- and lost configuration.
In reality, most of the data still exists locally.
The issue appears to be primarily:
- launcher routing,
- profile separation,
- and extension indexing.
Hopefully future releases handle the transition more clearly, because the current behavior makes it feel like the entire IDE environment vanished overnight.
If you ran into this issue too, I’d be interested to know whether the same workaround restored your workspace setup or if your installation behaved differently.
About the Author
Naveen Gaur is a full-stack developer focused on AI-native workflows, CMS systems, frontend performance, and developer tooling.
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