Choosing a theme for the first time silently changes other preferences

[nickhamze]

Choosing a built-in theme for the first time can also change unrelated preferences without asking. The same theme behaves differently on later selections, which makes the first click especially surprising.

In the audit, Desktop Mode (Legacy) changed the accent. OpenStation changed the accent, desktop layout, and dock position. After the hidden “recommendations applied” record existed, choosing the same theme again preserved manual choices instead.

How to reproduce

1. Use an account that has never selected the theme before.
2. Choose a distinctive accent, layout, and dock position.
3. Select Desktop Mode (Legacy) or OpenStation.
4. Notice that preferences outside the theme itself change.
5. Change those preferences manually and select the same theme again.
6. The second selection behaves differently from the first.

What should happen

Theme selection should either change only the theme, or show the exact recommended preferences and ask before applying them. The one-time behavior should not depend on an invisible history record the person cannot inspect.

PR #581 discloses the first-use recommendation behavior, which makes it less surprising. This issue is for the remaining product decision: previewing and confirming the extra changes.

Where I would look

• src/settings/sections/themes.ts
• src/settings/theme-recommendations.ts