How to disable “Return to Classic SharePoint” in SharePoint Online?

In modern SharePoint Online sites, You’ll find the link “Return to Classic SharePoint” in the bottom-left corner below quick launch – for backward compatibility. On clicking, the link reverts the current list or library to classic mode. Similarly, On the classic UI, there’s a corresponding link, “Exit classic experience.” Looking to remove the “return to classic SharePoint” button in SharePoint Online but don’t know how? Discover how to make the switch seamlessly with this guide!

disable return to classic sharepoint online

SharePoint Online: Remove return to classic SharePoint option

You may want to disable the “Return to Classic SharePoint” link or hide it from the left navigation menu of modern SharePoint sites to prevent users from having the ability to switch between the two experiences. Here is the PowerShell script to disable the return to classic SharePoint.

#Connect to SharePoint Online
Connect-SPOService -Url https://Crescent-Admin.sharepoint.com

#Disable "Return to Classic SharePoint"
Set-SPOTenant -DisableBackToClassic $True

This applies at the tenant level; running the above script will remove the “Return to classic SharePoint” option for all sites across the tenant.

What if the “Return to classic SharePoint” is missing in SharePoint Online, and you want to bring it back? To show the link again, run the following PowerShell cmdlet:

#Enable "Return to Classic SharePoint"
Set-SPOTenant -DisableBackToClassic $False

It takes a while to propagate this change to all sites in the tenant. The same applies when the “Exit classic experience” is missing!

Remove return to classic SharePoint option using CSS

You can also hide return to the classic SharePoint option with CSS:

.LeftNav-subLinks a {
   Display: none;
}

Salaudeen Rajack

Salaudeen Rajack - Information Technology Expert with Two-decades of hands-on experience, specializing in SharePoint, PowerShell, Microsoft 365, and related products. He has held various positions including SharePoint Architect, Administrator, Developer and consultant, has helped many organizations to implement and optimize SharePoint solutions. Known for his deep technical expertise, He's passionate about sharing the knowledge and insights to help others, through the real-world articles!

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