diff --git a/appview/timeline/timeline.go b/appview/timeline/timeline.go
--- a/appview/timeline/timeline.go
+++ b/appview/timeline/timeline.go
@@ -16,7 +16,30 @@
 func (t *Timeline) Timeline(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	user := t.oauth.GetMultiAccountUser(r)
 
-	followingOnly := r.URL.Query().Get("following") == "true" && user != nil
+	const timelineTabCookie = "timeline-tab"
+	var followingOnly bool
+	if _, hasParam := r.URL.Query()["following"]; hasParam {
+		followingOnly = r.URL.Query().Get("following") == "true" && user != nil
+	} else if user != nil {
+		if c, err := r.Cookie(timelineTabCookie); err == nil {
+			followingOnly = c.Value == "following"
+		}
+	}
+
+	if user != nil {
+		val := "global"
+		if followingOnly {
+			val = "following"
+		}
+		http.SetCookie(w, &http.Cookie{
+			Name:     timelineTabCookie,
+			Value:    val,
+			Path:     "/",
+			MaxAge:   365 * 24 * 60 * 60,
+			HttpOnly: true,
+			SameSite: http.SameSiteLaxMode,
+		})
+	}
 
 	var userDid string
 	if user != nil {
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/timeline/fragments/timeline.html b/appview/pages/templates/timeline/fragments/timeline.html
--- a/appview/pages/templates/timeline/fragments/timeline.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/timeline/fragments/timeline.html
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
           </h3>
           {{ if .LoggedInUser }}
           <div class="btn-group grid grid-cols-2">
-            <a href="/timeline"
-               hx-get="/timeline"
+            <a href="/timeline?following=false"
+               hx-get="/timeline?following=false"
                hx-target="#timeline-feed"
                hx-select="#timeline-feed"
                hx-swap="outerHTML"