[BUG] Agent Manager chat window "self-deletes" on load error (but Agent survives in Workspace)

Gemini API
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1

The Problem
While using the Agent Manager to create a new agent, I encountered a frustrating UI loop:

  1. I started a new agent and began giving initial instructions in the Agent Chat Window.

  2. After a moment, a status error appeared: "This agent is taking too long to load".

  3. Immediately after this error, the Agent Chat Window self-deleted or disappeared from the Manager view entirely.

At first, this appeared to be a critical IDE failure or a lost session, making it seem like the agent creation failed.

The Discovery / Answer
It turns out the agent does not die when the Manager window clears. The agent continues its initialization process in the background and attaches itself to your active workspace.

If you experience this “disappearing act” in the Agent Manager:

  • Switch to the Workspace Window: Use the shortcut Cmd + E (Mac) or Ctrl + E(Windows) to jump from the Manager to your Editor.

  • Open the Side Panel: Look at the Agent Side Panel (typically on the right-hand side of the code editor). You will likely find your agent there, alive and well, waiting for your next input.

  • Check the Conversation History: Even if the Manager view glitched, the conversation history is persistent within that specific workspace project folder.

Why this happens:
Google Antigravity’s “bifurcated” architecture separates the Agent Manager (Mission Control) from the Editor Workspace (Active Coding). When the Manager times out, it may clear its local UI state, but the agent process itself is tied to the file system/workspace and remains active there.

Recommended Fix for Devs:
If the agent is truly stuck after switching windows, use the Command Palette (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P) and run “Antigravity: Restart Agent Service” to reset the background processes without losing your workspace context.

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