diff --git a/desktop/src/components/layout/Sidebar.test.tsx b/desktop/src/components/layout/Sidebar.test.tsx
index 353f6b16..73e79ed6 100644
--- a/desktop/src/components/layout/Sidebar.test.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/components/layout/Sidebar.test.tsx
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ vi.mock('../../i18n', () => ({
       'sidebar.noSessions': 'No sessions',
       'sidebar.noMatching': 'No matching sessions',
       'sidebar.sessionListFailed': 'Session list failed',
+      'sidebar.refreshSessions': 'Refresh sessions',
       'common.retry': 'Retry',
       'common.loading': 'Loading...',
       'common.cancel': 'Cancel',
@@ -102,6 +103,7 @@ describe('Sidebar', () => {
   })
 
   afterEach(() => {
+    vi.useRealTimers()
     cleanup()
     useTabStore.setState({ tabs: [], activeTabId: null })
   })
@@ -390,4 +392,69 @@ describe('Sidebar', () => {
     expect(screen.getByText('Loading...')).toBeInTheDocument()
     expect(screen.queryByText('No sessions')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
   })
+
+  it('refreshes sessions manually and through low-frequency visible polling', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+
+    render(<Sidebar />)
+    await act(async () => {
+      await Promise.resolve()
+    })
+
+    expect(fetchSessions).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Refresh sessions' }))
+      await Promise.resolve()
+    })
+    expect(fetchSessions).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      window.dispatchEvent(new Event('focus'))
+      await Promise.resolve()
+    })
+    expect(fetchSessions).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(30_000)
+      await Promise.resolve()
+    })
+    expect(fetchSessions).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3)
+  })
+
+  it('does not poll for session changes while the document is hidden', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+    const originalVisibility = document.visibilityState
+    Object.defineProperty(document, 'visibilityState', {
+      configurable: true,
+      value: 'hidden',
+    })
+
+    render(<Sidebar />)
+    await act(async () => {
+      await Promise.resolve()
+    })
+    expect(fetchSessions).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(30_000)
+      await Promise.resolve()
+    })
+    expect(fetchSessions).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+
+    Object.defineProperty(document, 'visibilityState', {
+      configurable: true,
+      value: 'visible',
+    })
+    await act(async () => {
+      document.dispatchEvent(new Event('visibilitychange'))
+      await Promise.resolve()
+    })
+    expect(fetchSessions).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+
+    Object.defineProperty(document, 'visibilityState', {
+      configurable: true,
+      value: originalVisibility,
+    })
+  })
 })
diff --git a/desktop/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx b/desktop/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx
index 3fdf4575..2ce5b470 100644
--- a/desktop/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { useEffect, useState, useCallback, useMemo, useRef } from 'react'
+import { RefreshCw } from 'lucide-react'
 import { useSessionStore } from '../../stores/sessionStore'
 import { useUIStore } from '../../stores/uiStore'
 import { useTranslation } from '../../i18n'
@@ -10,6 +11,8 @@ import { useChatStore } from '../../stores/chatStore'
 
 const isTauri = typeof window !== 'undefined' && ('__TAURI_INTERNALS__' in window || '__TAURI__' in window)
 const isWindows = typeof navigator !== 'undefined' && /Win/.test(navigator.platform)
+const SESSION_LIST_AUTO_REFRESH_MS = 30_000
+const SESSION_LIST_FOCUS_REFRESH_MIN_MS = 5_000
 
 type TimeGroup = 'today' | 'yesterday' | 'last7days' | 'last30days' | 'older'
 
@@ -51,10 +54,7 @@ export function Sidebar({ isMobile = false, onRequestClose }: SidebarProps) {
   const [renamingId, setRenamingId] = useState<string | null>(null)
   const [renameValue, setRenameValue] = useState('')
   const [lastSelectedSessionId, setLastSelectedSessionId] = useState<string | null>(null)
-
-  useEffect(() => {
-    fetchSessions()
-  }, [fetchSessions])
+  const refreshSessionsNow = useSessionListAutoRefresh(fetchSessions)
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!contextMenu) return
@@ -376,6 +376,16 @@ export function Sidebar({ isMobile = false, onRequestClose }: SidebarProps) {
                   className="min-w-0 flex-1 bg-transparent pl-2 pr-0 text-[13px] text-[var(--color-text-primary)] placeholder:text-[var(--color-text-tertiary)] outline-none"
                 />
               </div>
+              <button
+                type="button"
+                onClick={() => void refreshSessionsNow()}
+                disabled={isLoading}
+                className="flex h-9 w-9 flex-shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-[12px] border border-[var(--color-sidebar-search-border)] bg-[var(--color-sidebar-search-bg)] text-[var(--color-text-secondary)] transition-colors hover:bg-[var(--color-sidebar-item-hover)] hover:text-[var(--color-text-primary)] disabled:cursor-default disabled:opacity-65 focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-[var(--color-border-focus)]"
+                aria-label={t('sidebar.refreshSessions')}
+                title={t('sidebar.refreshSessions')}
+              >
+                <RefreshCw className={`h-4 w-4 ${isLoading ? 'animate-spin' : ''}`} strokeWidth={1.9} aria-hidden="true" />
+              </button>
               <button
                 type="button"
                 onClick={isBatchMode ? handleExitBatchMode : enterBatchMode}
@@ -673,6 +683,60 @@ export function Sidebar({ isMobile = false, onRequestClose }: SidebarProps) {
   )
 }
 
+function useSessionListAutoRefresh(fetchSessions: () => Promise<void>): () => Promise<void> {
+  const inFlightRef = useRef<Promise<void> | null>(null)
+  const lastStartedAtRef = useRef(0)
+
+  const refreshSessions = useCallback((force = false) => {
+    if (inFlightRef.current) return inFlightRef.current
+
+    const now = Date.now()
+    if (!force && now - lastStartedAtRef.current < SESSION_LIST_FOCUS_REFRESH_MIN_MS) {
+      return Promise.resolve()
+    }
+
+    lastStartedAtRef.current = now
+    const request = Promise.resolve()
+      .then(() => fetchSessions())
+      .catch(() => undefined)
+      .finally(() => {
+        if (inFlightRef.current === request) {
+          inFlightRef.current = null
+        }
+      })
+    inFlightRef.current = request
+    return request
+  }, [fetchSessions])
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    void refreshSessions(true)
+
+    const refreshIfVisible = () => {
+      if (!isDocumentVisible()) return
+      void refreshSessions()
+    }
+
+    window.addEventListener('focus', refreshIfVisible)
+    document.addEventListener('visibilitychange', refreshIfVisible)
+    const timer = window.setInterval(() => {
+      if (!isDocumentVisible()) return
+      void refreshSessions(true)
+    }, SESSION_LIST_AUTO_REFRESH_MS)
+
+    return () => {
+      window.removeEventListener('focus', refreshIfVisible)
+      document.removeEventListener('visibilitychange', refreshIfVisible)
+      window.clearInterval(timer)
+    }
+  }, [refreshSessions])
+
+  return useCallback(() => refreshSessions(true), [refreshSessions])
+}
+
+function isDocumentVisible(): boolean {
+  return typeof document === 'undefined' || document.visibilityState !== 'hidden'
+}
+
 function groupByTime(sessions: SessionListItem[]): Map<TimeGroup, SessionListItem[]> {
   const groups = new Map<TimeGroup, SessionListItem[]>()
   const now = new Date()
diff --git a/desktop/src/i18n/locales/en.ts b/desktop/src/i18n/locales/en.ts
index e1a33b42..d7684c06 100644
--- a/desktop/src/i18n/locales/en.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/i18n/locales/en.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ export const en = {
   'sidebar.noSessions': 'No sessions yet',
   'sidebar.noMatching': 'No matching sessions',
   'sidebar.sessionListFailed': 'Session list failed to load',
+  'sidebar.refreshSessions': 'Refresh sessions',
   'sidebar.missingDir': 'missing dir',
   'sidebar.confirmDelete': 'Delete this session? This cannot be undone.',
   'sidebar.batchManage': 'Batch manage',
diff --git a/desktop/src/i18n/locales/zh.ts b/desktop/src/i18n/locales/zh.ts
index 7fc9a244..9e074364 100644
--- a/desktop/src/i18n/locales/zh.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/i18n/locales/zh.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ export const zh: Record<TranslationKey, string> = {
   'sidebar.noSessions': '暂无会话',
   'sidebar.noMatching': '没有匹配的会话',
   'sidebar.sessionListFailed': '会话列表加载失败',
+  'sidebar.refreshSessions': '刷新会话列表',
   'sidebar.missingDir': '目录缺失',
   'sidebar.confirmDelete': '确定要删除这个会话吗？此操作不可撤销。',
   'sidebar.batchManage': '批量管理',