diff --git a/i18n/en.json b/i18n/en.json
index 9741c10b2970f..073d4ba893eaf 100644
--- a/i18n/en.json
+++ b/i18n/en.json
@@ -736,6 +736,7 @@
   "external": "External",
   "external_libraries": "External Libraries",
   "face_unassigned": "Unassigned",
+  "failed_to_load_assets": "Failed to load assets",
   "favorite": "Favorite",
   "favorite_or_unfavorite_photo": "Favorite or unfavorite photo",
   "favorites": "Favorites",
@@ -1036,6 +1037,7 @@
   "reassing_hint": "Assign selected assets to an existing person",
   "recent": "Recent",
   "recent_searches": "Recent searches",
+  "recent-albums": "Recent albums",
   "refresh": "Refresh",
   "refresh_encoded_videos": "Refresh encoded videos",
   "refresh_faces": "Refresh faces",
diff --git a/web/src/lib/components/shared-components/side-bar/recent-albums.svelte b/web/src/lib/components/shared-components/side-bar/recent-albums.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..a412d5cc42ed5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/src/lib/components/shared-components/side-bar/recent-albums.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+<script lang="ts">
+  import { onMount } from 'svelte';
+  import { getAssetThumbnailUrl } from '$lib/utils';
+  import { getAllAlbums, type AlbumResponseDto } from '@immich/sdk';
+  import { handleError } from '$lib/utils/handle-error';
+  import { t } from 'svelte-i18n';
+
+  let albums: AlbumResponseDto[] = $state([]);
+
+  onMount(async () => {
+    try {
+      const allAlbums = await getAllAlbums({});
+      albums = allAlbums
+        .sort((album1, album2) => (album1.lastModifiedAssetTimestamp! > album2.lastModifiedAssetTimestamp! ? 1 : 0))
+        .slice(0, 3);
+    } catch (error) {
+      handleError(error, $t('failed_to_load_assets'));
+    }
+  });
+</script>
+
+{#each albums as album}
+  <a
+    href={'/albums/' + album.id}
+    title={album.albumName}
+    class="flex w-full place-items-center justify-between gap-4 rounded-r-full py-3 transition-[padding] delay-100 duration-100 hover:cursor-pointer hover:bg-immich-gray hover:text-immich-primary dark:text-immich-dark-fg dark:hover:bg-immich-dark-gray dark:hover:text-immich-dark-primary pl-10 group-hover:sm:px-10 md:px-10"
+  >
+    <div>
+      <div
+        class="h-6 w-6 bg-cover rounded bg-gray-200 dark:bg-gray-600"
+        style={album.albumThumbnailAssetId
+          ? `background-image:url('${getAssetThumbnailUrl({ id: album.albumThumbnailAssetId })}')`
+          : ''}
+      ></div>
+    </div>
+    <div class="grow text-sm font-medium truncate">
+      {album.albumName}
+    </div>
+  </a>
+{/each}
diff --git a/web/src/lib/components/shared-components/side-bar/side-bar-link.svelte b/web/src/lib/components/shared-components/side-bar/side-bar-link.svelte
index 13f08533c5262..4da73b6288408 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/components/shared-components/side-bar/side-bar-link.svelte
+++ b/web/src/lib/components/shared-components/side-bar/side-bar-link.svelte
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 <script lang="ts">
   import Icon from '$lib/components/elements/icon.svelte';
+  import { mdiChevronDown, mdiChevronLeft } from '@mdi/js';
   import { resolveRoute } from '$app/paths';
   import { page } from '$app/stores';
+  import type { Snippet } from 'svelte';
+  import { t } from 'svelte-i18n';
 
   interface Props {
     title: string;
@@ -10,6 +13,9 @@
     flippedLogo?: boolean;
     isSelected?: boolean;
     preloadData?: boolean;
+    moreInformation?: Snippet;
+    dropDownContent?: Snippet;
+    dropdownOpen?: boolean;
   }
 
   let {
@@ -19,6 +25,8 @@
     flippedLogo = false,
     isSelected = $bindable(false),
     preloadData = true,
+    dropDownContent: hasDropdown,
+    dropdownOpen = $bindable(false),
   }: Props = $props();
 
   let routePath = $derived(resolveRoute(routeId, {}));
@@ -28,21 +36,44 @@
   });
 </script>
 
-<a
-  href={routePath}
-  data-sveltekit-preload-data={preloadData ? 'hover' : 'off'}
-  draggable="false"
-  aria-current={isSelected ? 'page' : undefined}
-  class="flex w-full place-items-center gap-4 rounded-r-full py-3 transition-[padding] delay-100 duration-100 hover:cursor-pointer hover:bg-immich-gray hover:text-immich-primary dark:text-immich-dark-fg dark:hover:bg-immich-dark-gray dark:hover:text-immich-dark-primary
+<span class="relative">
+  {#if hasDropdown}
+    <span class="hidden md:block absolute left-1 z-50 h-full">
+      <button
+        type="button"
+        aria-label={$t('recent-albums')}
+        class="relative flex cursor-default pt-4 pb-4 select-none justify-center hover:cursor-pointer hover:bg-immich-gray hover:fill-gray hover:text-immich-primary dark:text-immich-dark-fg dark:hover:bg-immich-dark-gray dark:hover:text-immich-dark-primary rounded h-fill"
+        onclick={() => (dropdownOpen = !dropdownOpen)}
+      >
+        <Icon
+          path={dropdownOpen ? mdiChevronDown : mdiChevronLeft}
+          size="1em"
+          class="shrink-0 delay-100 duration-100 "
+          flipped={flippedLogo}
+          ariaHidden
+        />
+      </button>
+    </span>
+  {/if}
+  <a
+    href={routePath}
+    data-sveltekit-preload-data={preloadData ? 'hover' : 'off'}
+    draggable="false"
+    aria-current={isSelected ? 'page' : undefined}
+    class="flex w-full place-items-center gap-4 rounded-r-full py-3 transition-[padding] delay-100 duration-100 hover:cursor-pointer hover:bg-immich-gray hover:text-immich-primary dark:text-immich-dark-fg dark:hover:bg-immich-dark-gray dark:hover:text-immich-dark-primary
     {isSelected
-    ? 'bg-immich-primary/10 text-immich-primary hover:bg-immich-primary/10 dark:bg-immich-dark-primary/10 dark:text-immich-dark-primary'
-    : ''}
+      ? 'bg-immich-primary/10 text-immich-primary hover:bg-immich-primary/10 dark:bg-immich-dark-primary/10 dark:text-immich-dark-primary'
+      : ''}
 		pl-5 group-hover:sm:px-5 md:px-5
   "
->
-  <div class="flex w-full place-items-center gap-4 overflow-hidden truncate">
-    <Icon path={icon} size="1.5em" class="shrink-0" flipped={flippedLogo} ariaHidden />
-    <span class="text-sm font-medium">{title}</span>
-  </div>
-  <div></div>
-</a>
+  >
+    <div class="flex w-full place-items-center gap-4 overflow-hidden truncate">
+      <Icon path={icon} size="1.5em" class="shrink-0" flipped={flippedLogo} ariaHidden />
+      <span class="text-sm font-medium">{title}</span>
+    </div>
+    <div></div>
+  </a>
+</span>
+{#if hasDropdown && dropdownOpen}
+  {@render hasDropdown?.()}
+{/if}
diff --git a/web/src/lib/components/shared-components/side-bar/side-bar.svelte b/web/src/lib/components/shared-components/side-bar/side-bar.svelte
index 000afa5d1a302..9c49b971bae0e 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/components/shared-components/side-bar/side-bar.svelte
+++ b/web/src/lib/components/shared-components/side-bar/side-bar.svelte
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@
   import { t } from 'svelte-i18n';
   import BottomInfo from '$lib/components/shared-components/side-bar/bottom-info.svelte';
   import { preferences } from '$lib/stores/user.store';
+  import { recentAlbumsDropdown } from '$lib/stores/preferences.store';
+  import RecentAlbums from '$lib/components/shared-components/side-bar/recent-albums.svelte';
+  import { fly } from 'svelte/transition';
 
   let isArchiveSelected: boolean = $state(false);
   let isFavoritesSelected: boolean = $state(false);
@@ -88,7 +91,19 @@
       bind:isSelected={isFavoritesSelected}
     ></SideBarLink>
 
-    <SideBarLink title={$t('albums')} routeId="/(user)/albums" icon={mdiImageAlbum} flippedLogo></SideBarLink>
+    <SideBarLink
+      title={$t('albums')}
+      routeId="/(user)/albums"
+      icon={mdiImageAlbum}
+      flippedLogo
+      bind:dropdownOpen={$recentAlbumsDropdown}
+    >
+      {#snippet dropDownContent()}
+        <span in:fly={{ y: -20 }} class="hidden md:block">
+          <RecentAlbums />
+        </span>
+      {/snippet}
+    </SideBarLink>
 
     {#if $preferences.tags.enabled && $preferences.tags.sidebarWeb}
       <SideBarLink title={$t('tags')} routeId="/(user)/tags" icon={mdiTagMultipleOutline} flippedLogo />
diff --git a/web/src/lib/stores/preferences.store.ts b/web/src/lib/stores/preferences.store.ts
index 87f4a7ba44708..2b3ff86c2f7e8 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/stores/preferences.store.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/stores/preferences.store.ts
@@ -144,3 +144,5 @@ export const alwaysLoadOriginalFile = persisted<boolean>('always-load-original-f
 export const playVideoThumbnailOnHover = persisted<boolean>('play-video-thumbnail-on-hover', true, {});
 
 export const loopVideo = persisted<boolean>('loop-video', true, {});
+
+export const recentAlbumsDropdown = persisted<boolean>('recent-albums-open', true, {});