There are a few reasons for the change:
- The ribbon can now be turned off and in a future update will be set to off by default for new users. This is to reduce the cockpit effect that can be overwhelming to new users who aren’t familiar with all the unlabeled icons. We want the settings button to be accessible even when the ribbon is off.
- Provide a better experience for multi-vault users, so they can more easily see the current vault name, and group vault-level actions together. Previously vault name was visible in the file explorer, but now you can also see it if you switch sidebar tabs.
- Make the vault profile area more consistent with the mobile design.
- Give more space for customization of the ribbon to advanced users. See Settings → Appearance → Ribbon menu configuration
Aside from the button in the sidebar, you can also access Settings via:
- Command palette
- Hotkeys
- System menu (its location depends on your OS)
If you prefer the old design, there are plugins that can help you customize the ribbon and vault profile area:
- Commander to add Settings and other actions to the ribbon
- Hider to hide the new vault profile
- Legacy Vault Switcher to restore the old style ribbon