How to Switch to Salesforce Classic

A sales rep opens her laptop for a morning check-in with her pipeline. She clicks on a familiar Salesforce bookmark, only to find herself staring at an unfamiliar interface. The navigation is different. Her favorite reports are nowhere to be found. Even the colors and layout feel foreign. Her company just completed their Lightning rollout, but she has a crucial client call in 15 minutes and needs the comfort of the Classic interface she’s used for years.

This scenario plays out thousands of times daily across organizations. While Salesforce pushes Lightning Experience as its modern standard, many users and organizations still need access to Classic. Some rely on features only available in the legacy interface. Others have team members at different stages of adoption. And many simply need the familiarity of Classic during critical business moments when experimentation feels too risky.

The ability to switch between interfaces isn’t just a technical capability—it’s a productivity lifeline during transition periods. Understanding how to navigate between Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience empowers users to work in their preferred environment while giving organizations flexibility during migration.

This guide walks you through the mechanics of interface switching, from basic toggling techniques to the administrative controls, permissions, and organizational strategies that ensure smooth transitions between Salesforce’s dual interface reality.

Overview

Introduction to Salesforce Classic and Lightning

Salesforce operates in a unique transition period where two distinct interfaces coexist. Salesforce Classic represents the original interface that served the platform since its launch in 2000. It features a traditional tab-based navigation with a text-centric design that many long-term users find familiar and efficient.

Lightning Experience, introduced in 2014, represents Salesforce’s modern approach with a responsive design, enhanced visualizations, and advanced features unavailable in Classic. While over 80% of customers now use Lightning as their primary interface, Salesforce continues supporting Classic for organizations with specific legacy requirements.

This dual-interface environment creates both opportunities and challenges. Users gain flexibility to choose their preferred workspace, but organizations must manage the complexity of supporting two interfaces simultaneously.

Importance of knowing how to switch between interfaces

The ability to switch between interfaces serves several critical purposes:

• Productivity continuity: Users can access familiar tools during high-pressure situations when learning curves aren’t practical
• Feature access: Some specialized features remain available only in one interface or the other
• Phased adoption: Organizations can implement gradual Lightning migration while maintaining Classic access for specific workflows
• Training support: Users can compare interfaces side-by-side during learning periods

Understanding switching mechanics helps users maintain productivity while giving administrators control over the transition process. As Salesforce integration becomes increasingly complex, interface flexibility becomes even more valuable.

Why Switch to Salesforce Classic?

Despite Salesforce’s push toward Lightning, legitimate reasons exist for accessing Classic. These aren’t merely preferences but practical business requirements that organizations must address during transition periods.

Benefits of using Salesforce Classic over Lightning

• Familiarity: Users with years of Classic experience often work more efficiently in the interface they know
• Legacy customizations: Organizations with extensive Classic-specific customizations may need continued access until rebuilding for Lightning
• Specific feature requirements: Some specialized features like certain Visualforce implementations function differently in Lightning
• Performance considerations: In limited bandwidth environments, Classic’s lighter interface may load faster

For organizations using Salesforce products across multiple teams, maintaining Classic access during transition periods helps prevent productivity disruptions while teams adapt to Lightning’s workflow differences.

Scenarios where Salesforce Classic might be more beneficial

Specific business scenarios often drive the need for Classic access:

• Complex sales cycles: Reps managing high-value opportunities may prefer Classic’s familiar environment during critical deal stages
• Legacy automation dependencies: Organizations using Process Builder or Workflow Rules extensively may need Classic access for maintenance
• Knowledge management transitions: Teams migrating from Classic Knowledge to Lightning Knowledge often need dual access during extended transitions
• Training periods: New users sometimes benefit from understanding both interfaces during onboarding

Organizations implementing Salesforce integration tools often maintain Classic access during integration testing to ensure compatibility across both interfaces.

Prerequisites

System requirements for Salesforce Classic

Before attempting to switch interfaces, ensure your environment meets these requirements:

• Browser compatibility: Salesforce Classic supports recent versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer (versions 9-11)
• Stable internet connection: While Classic requires less bandwidth than Lightning, a reliable connection remains essential
• Screen resolution: Classic performs best at resolutions of 1024×768 or higher

Organizations using Salesforce Outlook integration should verify compatibility with both interfaces if users will be switching between them.

Permissions and access needed

Switching between interfaces requires specific permissions:

• Lightning Experience User permission: Must be enabled for your profile or through a permission set
• No “Hide Option to Switch to Salesforce Classic” restriction: Administrators can restrict switching by enabling this permission
• Edition-specific limitations: In Essentials Edition, only administrators can access Classic

Your ability to switch interfaces depends on both your individual permissions and organization-wide settings controlled by administrators.

Steps to Switch from Lightning to Classic

Step 1: Access the Settings

The process of switching from Lightning to Classic is straightforward:

1. Look for your profile icon in the top-right corner of the Lightning interface
2. Click on the profile avatar or your initials to open the dropdown menu
3. The menu displays various options including personal settings and logout functionality

This menu serves as your gateway between interfaces, assuming you have the necessary permissions to switch.

Step 2: Change the UI Preference

1. Within the dropdown menu, locate the “Switch to Salesforce Classic” option
2. Click this option to initiate the interface transition
3. Wait for the page to reload as Salesforce switches interface layers
4. You’ll be redirected to your default Classic landing page

The URL will visibly change during this transition, shifting from the Lightning format (typically containing “lightning.force” in the domain) to the traditional Classic URL structure.

Switching from Classic to Lightning

To return to Lightning Experience from Classic:

1. Locate your username in the top-right corner of the Classic interface
2. Click your username to reveal the dropdown menu
3. Select “Switch to Lightning Experience”
4. Wait for the page to reload with the Lightning interface

Remember that whichever interface you use last becomes your default for your next login session. If you switch to Classic and then log out, you’ll return to Classic on your next login.

Organizations using Salesforce Lightning Scheduler will need to ensure users switch to Lightning to access this functionality, as it’s not available in Classic.

How to Ensure a Smooth Transition

User Training and Support

Successful interface switching requires proper preparation:

• Role-specific training: Provide targeted guidance based on how each team uses Salesforce
• Interface comparison resources: Create quick-reference guides highlighting where common functions live in each interface
• Support channels: Establish clear paths for users to get help with interface questions
• Switching etiquette: Remind users to save work before switching to prevent data loss

Organizations implementing Salesforce reporting tools should ensure users understand how reports function in both interfaces if switching will be common.

Customization and Setup

Administrators can optimize the switching experience through careful configuration:

• Consistent page layouts: Align layouts between interfaces where possible to reduce confusion
• Permission sets: Create dedicated permission sets for interface switching rather than modifying profiles
• Testing critical workflows: Validate that essential business processes work correctly in both interfaces
• Bookmark management: Advise users that bookmarks created in one interface may not work in the other

Organizations using Salesforce forecasting features should ensure forecast configurations work properly across both interfaces if users will be switching.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Common switching problems and their solutions:

• Missing switch option: Usually indicates permission restrictions—contact your administrator
• Unexpected redirects: Normal behavior when equivalent pages don’t exist in both interfaces
• Lost unsaved work: Always save before switching interfaces
• Performance differences: Lightning typically requires more bandwidth than Classic

Organizations using Salesforce pipeline inspection tools should note that advanced pipeline visualization features are primarily available in Lightning.

Administrative Controls for Interface Switching

Administrators control switching capabilities through several mechanisms:

Profile-Level Controls

1. Navigate to Setup > Users > Profiles
2. Select the profile you want to modify
3. In System Permissions, locate “Lightning Experience User” and “Hide Option to Switch to Salesforce Classic”
4. Enable/disable these permissions based on your organization’s strategy

Permission Set Approach

For more granular control:

1. Create a permission set for users who need switching flexibility
2. Include the “Lightning Experience User” permission without the “Hide Option to Switch” restriction
3. Create a separate permission set for users who should remain in Lightning
4. Include both “Lightning Experience User” and “Hide Option to Switch” permissions
5. Assign these permission sets to appropriate user groups

Organizations using Salesforce Sales Cloud often implement permission-based switching controls aligned with their sales process maturity.

Future Considerations

Organizations should recognize that Salesforce is progressively moving toward Lightning-only functionality:

• Feature retirement timelines: Salesforce has announced retirement dates for several Classic-only features
• Workflow Rules and Process Builder: Support ends December 31, 2025, requiring migration to Flow
• Classic Knowledge: Becomes unavailable with Summer ’25 release
• Salesforce for Outlook: Full retirement scheduled for December 2027

These retirements create urgency for organizations to plan comprehensive Lightning migrations rather than relying indefinitely on interface switching.

Organizations implementing Salesforce Revenue Cloud should note that its advanced features are primarily designed for Lightning Experience.

Conclusion

Is Switching Interfaces Right for Your Organization?

Interface switching serves as a valuable transitional capability during migration periods, but organizations should view it as a temporary bridge rather than a permanent strategy. As Salesforce continues investing in Lightning-exclusive features and retiring Classic functionality, the business case for maintaining dual-interface operations diminishes.

Organizations should:

• Develop clear timelines for complete Lightning migration
• Use interface switching strategically during transition periods
• Implement permission-based controls that support organizational change management
• Invest in training that builds Lightning proficiency while acknowledging Classic expertise

By approaching interface switching as part of a broader migration strategy rather than an indefinite operating model, organizations position themselves to leverage Salesforce’s full capabilities while maintaining productivity during transition periods.

Book a Demo with Revenue Grid

Interface switching represents just one aspect of optimizing your Salesforce environment. Revenue Grid helps organizations maximize their Salesforce investment through intelligent integration, activity capture, and relationship analytics that work seamlessly across both Classic and Lightning interfaces.

Our platform bridges the gap between email, calendar, and Salesforce, ensuring your data remains consistent regardless of which interface your team prefers. We help organizations maintain productivity during interface transitions while building toward a fully optimized Lightning experience.

Book a demo to see how Revenue Grid can help you maintain clean, consolidated Salesforce data and build a CRM your entire revenue team can trust.