Washington Dev Instance Stuck in Classic UI – Missing Next UI

[Tochitsuteta]

Hello ServiceNow Community / Support,

I am currently preparing for the CSA exam and have provisioned a developer instance based on the Washington release, expecting to utilize the Next Experience UI.

However, my instance consistently behaves like a Classic UI (UI16) instance, which is unexpected for a Washington release, and I am encountering several critical issues that are hindering my exam preparation:

• No Next Experience Toggle: The option to enable Next Experience (usually found under User Menu > Preferences > Next Experience) is entirely missing from my settings.

• Core Module Access Issues: Attempting to access standard Classic UI modules, such as sys_properties.list, results in a 404 (Not Found) error, indicating a potential underlying issue beyond just the UI.

• Agent Workspace Missing: The Agent Workspace application (e.g., sn_itsm_agent_workspace plugin) is completely absent from System Applications > All Available Applications, and direct access via agent_workspace.do also returns a 404 error.

Troubleshooting steps I have taken:

• Performed full reset and reprovisioning of the instance multiple times via the Developer Site.

• Cleared browser cache and cookies and tested with multiple browsers (Chrome, Firefox) to rule out client-side issues.

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Instance Details:

• Instance Name/ID: dev296507

• Example Current URL (Incident list):
  https://dev296507.service-now.com/now/nav/ui/classic/params/target/incident_list.do%3Fsysparm_userpr...

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I am concerned this particular instance build may be misconfigured or corrupted, as the issue persists despite multiple reprovisioning attempts.

Are there any known issues with Washington developer instances exhibiting this behavior, or is there a way to specifically request a new developer instance guaranteed to have the Next Experience UI properly enabled and fully functional?

This issue is significantly impacting my ability to prepare effectively for the CSA exam, which heavily relies on knowledge of the Next Experience UI.

Thank you very much in advance for your assistance.

[SANDEEP DUTTA]

Hi @Tochitsuteta ,

Go to the System Properties > sys_propertoes.list

Search for the Property: Look for the " glide.ui.polaris.on_off_user_pref_enabled " property.

Set the value of this property to "True".

OR,

If the option to enable or disable the Next Experience is not showing up in the Preferences, ensure that the glide.ui.polaris.on_off_user_pref_enabled property is correctly set to true.

[Tochitsuteta]

Hi Sandeep,

Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate it.

As suggested, I went to `sys_properties.list` and noted there was no `glide.ui.polaris.on_off_user_pref_enabled`,
so I manually added it as follows:

- **Name**: glide.ui.polaris.on_off_user_pref_enabled
- **Type**: true | false
- **Value**: true
- **Application**: Global
- **Description**: Allow users to toggle Next Experience UI

I then logged out (via top-right avatar) and logged back in.
The property is now visible and confirmed as `true`, but unfortunately:

🟥 **The “Next Experience” toggle still does not appear in my Preferences menu.**

Could there be **another setting** required to fully enable the Next Experience UI in Washington developer instances?
Or is it possible that this particular build does **not support Polaris at all**, despite being marked as Washington?

Is there anything else I should check or additional properties I might be missing?

Thanks again in advance — this issue is really blocking my CSA preparation path, so I appreciate your help 🙏

[Dr Atul G- LNG]

Hi @Tochitsuteta 

It looks like an instance issue. If it’s a PDI, it's better to either take a PDI on the latest release or upgrade your current PDI to the latest patch. Otherwise, release the current PDI and request a new one with the latest version.

[Tochitsuteta]

Hi @DR. Atul G.,

Thanks for your advice.

As suggested, I released the previous PDI and requested a new one running Washington DC.

I’ve manually added the glide.ui.polaris.on_off_user_pref_enabled property and confirmed it’s set to true,
but unfortunately the “Next Experience” toggle still doesn’t appear in the Preferences menu.

At this point, I’ve tried multiple instances and confirmed the behavior is consistent.

It might just be a limitation of the developer environment or patch level.

Thanks again for your help — I’ll proceed with my CSA preparation and not worry too much about this one toggle 😊