Enable switching preview features on/off without restart (#13515)

docs/get-started/configuration.md

@@ -101,7 +101,6 @@ their corresponding top-level category object in your `settings.json` file.
 - **`general.previewFeatures`** (boolean):
   - **Description:** Enable preview features (e.g., preview models).
   - **Default:** `false`
-  - **Requires restart:** Yes
 
 - **`general.preferredEditor`** (string):
   - **Description:** The preferred editor to open files in.

packages/cli/src/config/settingsSchema.test.ts

@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ describe('SettingsSchema', () => {
       ).toBe(false);
       expect(
         getSettingsSchema().general.properties.previewFeatures.requiresRestart,
-      ).toBe(true);
+      ).toBe(false);
       expect(
         getSettingsSchema().general.properties.previewFeatures.showInDialog,
       ).toBe(true);

packages/cli/src/config/settingsSchema.ts

@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ const SETTINGS_SCHEMA = {
         type: 'boolean',
         label: 'Preview Features (e.g., models)',
         category: 'General',
-        requiresRestart: true,
+        requiresRestart: false,
         default: false,
         description: 'Enable preview features (e.g., preview models).',
         showInDialog: true,

packages/cli/src/ui/components/DialogManager.tsx

@@ -139,6 +139,7 @@ export const DialogManager = ({
           onSelect={() => uiActions.closeSettingsDialog()}
           onRestartRequest={() => process.exit(0)}
           availableTerminalHeight={terminalHeight - staticExtraHeight}
+          config={config}
         />
       </Box>
     );

packages/cli/src/ui/components/SettingsDialog.tsx

@@ -43,12 +43,14 @@ import {
 } from '../../config/settingsSchema.js';
 import { debugLogger } from '@google/gemini-cli-core';
 import { keyMatchers, Command } from '../keyMatchers.js';
+import type { Config } from '@google/gemini-cli-core';
 
 interface SettingsDialogProps {
   settings: LoadedSettings;
   onSelect: (settingName: string | undefined, scope: SettingScope) => void;
   onRestartRequest?: () => void;
   availableTerminalHeight?: number;
+  config?: Config;
 }
 
 const maxItemsToShow = 8;
@@ -58,6 +60,7 @@ export function SettingsDialog({
   onSelect,
   onRestartRequest,
   availableTerminalHeight,
+  config,
 }: SettingsDialogProps): React.JSX.Element {
   // Get vim mode context to sync vim mode changes
   const { vimEnabled, toggleVimEnabled } = useVimMode();
@@ -208,6 +211,10 @@ export function SettingsDialog({
               next.delete(key);
               return next;
             });
+
+            if (key === 'general.previewFeatures') {
+              config?.setPreviewFeatures(newValue as boolean);
+            }
           } else {
             // For restart-required settings, track as modified
             setModifiedSettings((prev) => {

schemas/settings.schema.json

@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
         "previewFeatures": {
           "title": "Preview Features (e.g., models)",
           "description": "Enable preview features (e.g., preview models).",
-          "markdownDescription": "Enable preview features (e.g., preview models).\n\n- Category: `General`\n- Requires restart: `yes`\n- Default: `false`",
+          "markdownDescription": "Enable preview features (e.g., preview models).\n\n- Category: `General`\n- Requires restart: `no`\n- Default: `false`",
           "default": false,
           "type": "boolean"
         },