diff --git a/internal/browser/browser_test.go b/internal/browser/browser_test.go
index b470f2b..42c5810 100644
--- a/internal/browser/browser_test.go
+++ b/internal/browser/browser_test.go
@@ -26,10 +26,13 @@ func TestLoadPage_FromIndexAtOffset(t *testing.T) {
 		)
 	}
 
-	// Build position map for the default sort mode (NameAsc)
+	// Build position maps for sort modes
 	s.SortIndex = &DirectoryIndex{
 		Entries:    allEntries,
-		SortOrders: map[string][]int{"name_asc": buildPositionMap(allEntries, SortModeNameAsc)},
+		SortOrders: map[string][]int{
+			"name_asc":  buildPositionMap(allEntries, SortModeNameAsc),
+			"date_desc": buildPositionMap(allEntries, SortModeDateDesc),
+		},
 	}
 
 	// Load page 1 (entries 100-199)
@@ -71,10 +74,13 @@ func TestLoadPage_LastPagePartialFromIndex(t *testing.T) {
 		)
 	}
 
-	// Build position map for the default sort mode (NameAsc)
+	// Build position maps for sort modes
 	s.SortIndex = &DirectoryIndex{
 		Entries:    allEntries,
-		SortOrders: map[string][]int{"name_asc": buildPositionMap(allEntries, SortModeNameAsc)},
+		SortOrders: map[string][]int{
+			"name_asc":  buildPositionMap(allEntries, SortModeNameAsc),
+			"date_desc": buildPositionMap(allEntries, SortModeDateDesc),
+		},
 	}
 
 	// Load page 1 (last page, should have only 50 entries)
@@ -108,10 +114,13 @@ func TestLoadPage_OutOfBoundsFromIndex(t *testing.T) {
 		)
 	}
 
-	// Build position map for the default sort mode (NameAsc)
+	// Build position maps for sort modes
 	s.SortIndex = &DirectoryIndex{
 		Entries:    allEntries,
-		SortOrders: map[string][]int{"name_asc": buildPositionMap(allEntries, SortModeNameAsc)},
+		SortOrders: map[string][]int{
+			"name_asc":  buildPositionMap(allEntries, SortModeNameAsc),
+			"date_desc": buildPositionMap(allEntries, SortModeDateDesc),
+		},
 	}
 
 	// Requesting page 5 (out of bounds) should return nil
@@ -184,10 +193,13 @@ func TestGetEntryByIndex(t *testing.T) {
 		)
 	}
 
-	// Build position map for the default sort mode (NameAsc)
+	// Build position maps for sort modes
 	s.SortIndex = &DirectoryIndex{
 		Entries:    allEntries,
-		SortOrders: map[string][]int{"name_asc": buildPositionMap(allEntries, SortModeNameAsc)},
+		SortOrders: map[string][]int{
+			"name_asc":  buildPositionMap(allEntries, SortModeNameAsc),
+			"date_desc": buildPositionMap(allEntries, SortModeDateDesc),
+		},
 	}
 
 	// Load some pages
@@ -222,10 +234,13 @@ func TestGetEntryByIndex_UnloadedPage(t *testing.T) {
 		)
 	}
 
-	// Build position map for the default sort mode (NameAsc)
+	// Build position maps for sort modes
 	s.SortIndex = &DirectoryIndex{
 		Entries:    allEntries,
-		SortOrders: map[string][]int{"name_asc": buildPositionMap(allEntries, SortModeNameAsc)},
+		SortOrders: map[string][]int{
+			"name_asc":  buildPositionMap(allEntries, SortModeNameAsc),
+			"date_desc": buildPositionMap(allEntries, SortModeDateDesc),
+		},
 	}
 
 	// Only load page 0
diff --git a/internal/browser/layout_test.go b/internal/browser/layout_test.go
index 82364ca..5bea770 100644
--- a/internal/browser/layout_test.go
+++ b/internal/browser/layout_test.go
@@ -30,10 +30,13 @@ func makeTestState(t *testing.T, entryCount int, scrollIndex int, visibleCount i
 		)
 	}
 
-	// Build position map for the default sort mode (NameAsc)
+	// Build position maps for sort modes
 	s.SortIndex = &DirectoryIndex{
 		Entries:    entries,
-		SortOrders: map[string][]int{"name_asc": buildPositionMap(entries, SortModeNameAsc)},
+		SortOrders: map[string][]int{
+			"name_asc":  buildPositionMap(entries, SortModeNameAsc),
+			"date_desc": buildPositionMap(entries, SortModeDateDesc),
+		},
 	}
 
 	// Load pages
diff --git a/internal/browser/pixel_scroll_test.go b/internal/browser/pixel_scroll_test.go
index 256218e..b476bb3 100644
--- a/internal/browser/pixel_scroll_test.go
+++ b/internal/browser/pixel_scroll_test.go
@@ -146,7 +146,10 @@ func TestPixelScroll_EvictionTriggered(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	s.SortIndex = &DirectoryIndex{
 		Entries:    entries,
-		SortOrders: map[string][]int{"name_asc": buildPositionMap(entries, SortModeNameAsc)},
+		SortOrders: map[string][]int{
+			"name_asc":  buildPositionMap(entries, SortModeNameAsc),
+			"date_desc": buildPositionMap(entries, SortModeDateDesc),
+		},
 	}
 	for pageIdx := 0; pageIdx <= 10; pageIdx++ {
 		p := loadPageFromIndex(s, pageIdx)
@@ -182,7 +185,10 @@ func TestPixelScroll_PrefetchTriggered(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	s.SortIndex = &DirectoryIndex{
 		Entries:    entries,
-		SortOrders: map[string][]int{"name_asc": buildPositionMap(entries, SortModeNameAsc)},
+		SortOrders: map[string][]int{
+			"name_asc":  buildPositionMap(entries, SortModeNameAsc),
+			"date_desc": buildPositionMap(entries, SortModeDateDesc),
+		},
 	}
 	for pageIdx := 3; pageIdx <= 7; pageIdx++ {
 		p := loadPageFromIndex(s, pageIdx)
diff --git a/internal/browser/scroll_test.go b/internal/browser/scroll_test.go
index 5dd52b7..2419476 100644
--- a/internal/browser/scroll_test.go
+++ b/internal/browser/scroll_test.go
@@ -81,10 +81,13 @@ func TestScroll_PrefetchTriggered(t *testing.T) {
 	for i := 0; i < 2000; i++ {
 		entries[i] = NewEntry("/test/file.txt", "file.txt", 100, s.TapTimestamp, false)
 	}
-	// Build position map for the default sort mode (NameAsc)
+	// Build position maps for sort modes
 	s.SortIndex = &DirectoryIndex{
 		Entries:    entries,
-		SortOrders: map[string][]int{"name_asc": buildPositionMap(entries, SortModeNameAsc)},
+		SortOrders: map[string][]int{
+			"name_asc":  buildPositionMap(entries, SortModeNameAsc),
+			"date_desc": buildPositionMap(entries, SortModeDateDesc),
+		},
 	}
 	for pageIdx := 3; pageIdx <= 7; pageIdx++ {
 		p := loadPageFromIndex(s, pageIdx)
@@ -126,10 +129,13 @@ func TestScroll_EvictionTriggered(t *testing.T) {
 	for i := 0; i < 5000; i++ {
 		entries[i] = NewEntry("/test/file.txt", "file.txt", 100, s.TapTimestamp, false)
 	}
-	// Build position map for the default sort mode (NameAsc)
+	// Build position maps for sort modes
 	s.SortIndex = &DirectoryIndex{
 		Entries:    entries,
-		SortOrders: map[string][]int{"name_asc": buildPositionMap(entries, SortModeNameAsc)},
+		SortOrders: map[string][]int{
+			"name_asc":  buildPositionMap(entries, SortModeNameAsc),
+			"date_desc": buildPositionMap(entries, SortModeDateDesc),
+		},
 	}
 	for pageIdx := 0; pageIdx <= 10; pageIdx++ {
 		p := loadPageFromIndex(s, pageIdx)
@@ -238,10 +244,13 @@ func TestScroll_PrefetchTriggeredOnPageBoundary(t *testing.T) {
 	for i := 0; i < 500; i++ {
 		entries[i] = NewEntry("/test/file.txt", "file.txt", 100, s.TapTimestamp, false)
 	}
-	// Build position map for the default sort mode (NameAsc)
+	// Build position maps for sort modes
 	s.SortIndex = &DirectoryIndex{
 		Entries:    entries,
-		SortOrders: map[string][]int{"name_asc": buildPositionMap(entries, SortModeNameAsc)},
+		SortOrders: map[string][]int{
+			"name_asc":  buildPositionMap(entries, SortModeNameAsc),
+			"date_desc": buildPositionMap(entries, SortModeDateDesc),
+		},
 	}
 	s.Pages[0] = loadPageFromIndex(s, 0)
 
diff --git a/internal/browser/types.go b/internal/browser/types.go
index 007741c..51f610f 100644
--- a/internal/browser/types.go
+++ b/internal/browser/types.go
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func NewBrowserState() *BrowserState {
 		Pages:         make(map[int]*Page),
 		LetterOffsets: make(map[string]int),
 		SelectedIndex: -1,
-		SortMode:      SortModeNameAsc, // Default sort mode
+		SortMode:      SortModeDateDesc, // Default sort mode (newest first)
 		EntryHeight:   48.0,
 		CurrentPath:   "/",
 	}