diff --git a/src/components/sidebar/index.js b/src/components/sidebar/index.js
index 7a862d8dc4..178714d209 100644
--- a/src/components/sidebar/index.js
+++ b/src/components/sidebar/index.js
@@ -687,7 +687,7 @@ function Sidebar({ container, toggler }) {
 	return $sidebar;
 }
 
-Sidebar.hide = () => $sidebar?.hide();
+Sidebar.hide = (hideIfTab = false) => $sidebar?.hide(hideIfTab);
 Sidebar.show = () => $sidebar?.show();
 Sidebar.toggle = () => $sidebar?.toggle();
 
diff --git a/src/lib/acode.js b/src/lib/acode.js
index 2870fc0a98..4e8fe4961d 100644
--- a/src/lib/acode.js
+++ b/src/lib/acode.js
@@ -241,6 +241,8 @@ class Acode {
 		const sidebarAppsModule = {
 			add: sidebarApps.add,
 			get: sidebarApps.get,
+			open: sidebarApps.open,
+			close: sidebarApps.close,
 			remove: sidebarApps.remove,
 		};
 
diff --git a/src/sidebarApps/extensions/index.js b/src/sidebarApps/extensions/index.js
index 72ed4378e7..bf6da8c7a1 100644
--- a/src/sidebarApps/extensions/index.js
+++ b/src/sidebarApps/extensions/index.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import "./style.scss";
 import fsOperation from "fileSystem";
+import sidebarApps from "sidebarApps";
 import collapsableList from "components/collapsableList";
 import Sidebar from "components/sidebar";
 import alert from "dialogs/alert";
@@ -284,10 +285,7 @@ function waitForSearchInput() {
 }
 
 export async function openWithSearch(query) {
-	Sidebar.show();
-	document
-		.querySelector('[data-action="sidebar-app"][data-id="extensions"]')
-		?.click();
+	sidebarApps.open("extensions");
 
 	const searchInput = await waitForSearchInput();
 	if (!searchInput) return;
diff --git a/src/sidebarApps/index.js b/src/sidebarApps/index.js
index 4172f79917..66784e1818 100644
--- a/src/sidebarApps/index.js
+++ b/src/sidebarApps/index.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import Sidebar from "components/sidebar";
 import appSettings from "lib/settings";
 import Sponsors from "pages/sponsors";
 import SidebarApp from "./sidebarApp";
@@ -153,6 +154,37 @@ function get(id) {
 	return app.container;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Opens the sidebar and optionally activates an app.
+ *
+ * @param {string} [id] id of the sidebar app to activate
+ * @returns {boolean} whether the sidebar was opened
+ */
+function open(id) {
+	if (!$sidebar) return false;
+
+	if (id !== undefined) {
+		const app = apps.find((app) => app.id === id);
+		if (!app) return false;
+		setActiveApp(id);
+	}
+
+	Sidebar.show();
+	return true;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Closes the sidebar without changing the active app.
+ *
+ * @returns {boolean} whether the sidebar was closed
+ */
+function close() {
+	if (!$sidebar) return false;
+
+	Sidebar.hide(true);
+	return true;
+}
+
 /**
  * Handles click on sidebar apps
  * @param {MouseEvent} e
@@ -187,6 +219,8 @@ export default {
 	init,
 	add,
 	get,
+	open,
+	close,
 	remove,
 	loadApps,
 	ensureActiveApp,
diff --git a/tests/unit/sidebarApps.test.js b/tests/unit/sidebarApps.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fff8eabadc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/sidebarApps.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+// @vitest-environment happy-dom
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+const sidebar = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+	show: vi.fn(),
+	hide: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+const settings = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+	value: { showSponsorSidebarApp: false },
+	on: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+const instances = vi.hoisted(() => []);
+
+vi.mock("components/sidebar", () => ({ default: sidebar }));
+vi.mock("lib/settings", () => ({ default: settings }));
+vi.mock("pages/sponsors", () => ({ default: vi.fn() }));
+vi.mock("../../src/sidebarApps/sidebarApp.js", () => ({
+	default: class SidebarApp {
+		static init = vi.fn();
+
+		constructor(icon, id, title, init, onSelected) {
+			this.id = id;
+			this.container = document.createElement("div");
+			this.install = vi.fn();
+			this.remove = vi.fn();
+			this.active = false;
+			instances.push(this);
+		}
+	},
+}));
+
+let sidebarApps;
+
+beforeEach(async () => {
+	vi.resetModules();
+	localStorage.clear();
+	instances.length = 0;
+	sidebarApps = (await import("../../src/sidebarApps/index.js")).default;
+	const icons = document.createElement("div");
+	sidebarApps.init({
+		get: vi.fn(() => icons),
+	});
+});
+
+afterEach(() => {
+	vi.clearAllMocks();
+	document.body.replaceChildren();
+});
+
+it("opens the sidebar and activates the requested app", () => {
+	sidebarApps.add("folder", "files", "Files");
+	sidebarApps.add("extension", "extensions", "Extensions");
+
+	expect(sidebarApps.open("extensions")).toBe(true);
+	expect(sidebar.show).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+	expect(instances.map((app) => app.active)).toEqual([false, true]);
+	expect(localStorage.getItem("sidebarAppsLastSection")).toBe("extensions");
+});
+
+it("opens the current app when no app id is supplied", () => {
+	sidebarApps.add("folder", "files", "Files");
+
+	expect(sidebarApps.open()).toBe(true);
+	expect(sidebar.show).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+	expect(instances[0].active).toBe(true);
+});
+
+it("does not open the sidebar for an unknown app", () => {
+	sidebarApps.add("folder", "files", "Files");
+
+	expect(sidebarApps.open("missing")).toBe(false);
+	expect(sidebar.show).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+	expect(instances[0].active).toBe(true);
+});
+
+it("closes the sidebar without changing the active app", () => {
+	sidebarApps.add("folder", "files", "Files");
+
+	expect(sidebarApps.close()).toBe(true);
+	expect(sidebar.hide).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+	expect(instances[0].active).toBe(true);
+});