Auto-archive cycles and projects & deleting issues
Linear now auto-archives completed cycles and projects when all their issues are archived, helping maintain a manageable backlog. Users can now delete issues directly (instead of archiving), with a 14-day recovery window via the "Recently deleted" view, and the manual archive option has been removed to clarify the distinction between deletion and auto-archiving.
Auto-archive cycles and projects
Last year we announced auto-closing and auto-archiving of issues. Now we are extending the auto-archive feature to projects and cycles.
One of the core principles behind the Linear Method is to "keep a manageable backlog." This applies to issues as well as cycles and projects, and adding sensible automation to help you achieve this lets you focus on the things that really matter.
If a project or cycle has been completed more than X months ago (this time period is configurable) and all the issues inside it have been archived, the project or cycle will also be archived. The feature is automatically enabled for all teams that have auto-archiving for issues set up. If you want to enable it for your team or change auto-archiving settings, navigate to Settings > Team > Workflow.
Deleting issues
We made it possible to delete issues. Sometimes issues are created by mistake, and it makes no sense to keep them in the system. You can now delete them by pressing ⌘⌫ (or ⌦ for Windows and Linux users). Deleted issues will be available in the "Recently deleted" view which you can find through the command menu. Issues are permanently deleted after 14 days.
As part of this change, we removed the option to manually archive issues. We found that most users used the archive as a trash can for issues that they wanted to delete. At the same time, auto-archiving puts older completed issues inside the archive, which meant the archive served two disparate purposes.
We wanted to make the concepts around archiving and deleting issues more straightforward. We think that the archive is something that Linear should manage for you while deleting issues is your own choice.
Fixes and improvements
Fixed manual ordering in the cycles view
Fixed a crash when creating an issue in a multi-team view
Prevented unnecessary scroll bars from images on the Linear Method pages
We now show an error message when dragging a non-draggable list item
Fixed a crash when searching in and navigating to an empty list
An unnecessary scroll bar no longer shows up on estimate settings
The "No estimate" issue filter can now be activated in the command menu
The "Reference another issue" action no longer shows in the command menu for unsaved issues
The default issue template will no longer override drafted issue descriptions when you open the full page issue editor
Reduced the time it takes to load Linear from scratch by about 25%
Fix to prevent keyboard focus on hidden elements when in issue view
Admins can now change a suspended user's username
The keyboard shortcut to attach files ⌘⇧A when creating an issue or comment can now be triggered in more situations
We no longer register the new window shortcut CtrlN as a global shortcut in the Windows app
Fixed the alignment of the status icon when creating a sub-issue
Added more icons to pick from for Projects and Views
Updated icons in the contextual menu for projects
Linear Agent now offers adaptive routing to optimize model selection by task complexity, environment secrets support for secure dependency access, and open-weight model options including GLM. Teams can define custom project labels and statuses, assign project leads, use durable IDs for projects and initiatives, and automate workflows with new team-based triggers for onboarding and reassignment.
Loops, Linear's recurring agent workflows, now respond to more workspace activity including project, initiative, and cycle changes, can edit Linear documents and post updates to Slack. This helps teams automate coordination tasks like updating docs and keeping stakeholders informed when plans change.
Linear now offers a Priority tab that intelligently separates urgent notifications from less critical ones, preventing important items like release-blocking reviews from getting lost. Additionally, document editing is now available on iOS and Android, rich previews render in diffs, draft projects with Linear Agent for planning, and admins can approve third-party app access on paid plans.