diff --git a/e2e-tests/cypress/tests/integration/channels/accessibility/accessibility_account_settings_spec.js b/e2e-tests/cypress/tests/integration/channels/accessibility/accessibility_account_settings_spec.js
index 8c0c701c5a..580cd7a6de 100644
--- a/e2e-tests/cypress/tests/integration/channels/accessibility/accessibility_account_settings_spec.js
+++ b/e2e-tests/cypress/tests/integration/channels/accessibility/accessibility_account_settings_spec.js
@@ -89,14 +89,12 @@ describe('Verify Accessibility Support in different sections in Settings and Pro
     });
 
     it('MM-T1465_1 Verify Label & Tab behavior in section links', () => {
-        // * Verify tab selection and keyboard navigation in Account settings modal
+        // * Verify aria-label and tab support in section of Account settings modal
         cy.uiOpenProfileModal('Profile Settings');
         cy.findByRole('tab', {name: 'profile settings'}).should('be.visible').focus().should('be.focused');
         ['profile settings', 'security'].forEach((text) => {
-            // * Verify each tab is correctly selected and supports navigating to the next tab with arrow keys
-            cy.findByRole('tab', {name: text}).
-                should('have.attr', 'aria-selected', 'true').
-                type('{downarrow}');
+            // * Verify aria-label on each tab and it supports navigating to the next tab with arrow keys
+            cy.focused().should('have.attr', 'aria-label', text).type('{downarrow}');
         });
         cy.uiClose();
 
@@ -104,10 +102,8 @@ describe('Verify Accessibility Support in different sections in Settings and Pro
         cy.uiOpenSettingsModal();
         cy.findByRole('tab', {name: 'notifications'}).should('be.visible').focus().should('be.focused');
         ['notifications', 'display', 'sidebar', 'advanced'].forEach((text) => {
-            // * Verify each tab is correctly selected and supports navigating to the next tab with arrow keys
-            cy.findByRole('tab', {name: text}).
-                should('have.attr', 'aria-selected', 'true').
-                type('{downarrow}');
+            // * Verify aria-label on each tab and it supports navigating to the next tab with arrow keys
+            cy.focused().should('have.attr', 'aria-label', text).type('{downarrow}');
         });
     });
 
diff --git a/e2e-tests/playwright/specs/accessibility/channels/account_settings_sidebar.spec.ts b/e2e-tests/playwright/specs/accessibility/channels/account_settings_sidebar.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c630d0bde8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2e-tests/playwright/specs/accessibility/channels/account_settings_sidebar.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2015-present Mattermost, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
+// See LICENSE.txt for license information.
+
+import {expect, test} from '@mattermost/playwright-lib';
+
+test('Settings sidebar should be keyboard accessible', async ({axe, pw}) => {
+    const {user} = await pw.initSetup();
+
+    // # Log in as a user in new browser context
+    const {page, channelsPage} = await pw.testBrowser.login(user);
+
+    // # Initialize Axe
+    const ab = axe.builder(page).disableRules([
+        'color-contrast',
+
+        // Known issue: These fail due to the way we've grouped plugin setting tabs together in the LHS
+        'aria-required-children',
+        'aria-required-parent',
+    ]);
+
+    // # Visit default channel page
+    await channelsPage.goto();
+    await channelsPage.toBeVisible();
+
+    // # Open settings modal
+    const settingsModal = await channelsPage.globalHeader.openSettings();
+
+    // * The settings modal should have no accessibility violations
+    const accessibilityScanResults = await ab.analyze();
+    expect(accessibilityScanResults.violations).toHaveLength(0);
+
+    // # Focus the sidebar
+    await settingsModal.container.focus();
+    await page.keyboard.press('Tab');
+    await page.keyboard.press('Tab');
+
+    // * The Notifications tab should start focused
+    await expect(page.getByRole('tab', {name: 'Notifications'})).toBeFocused();
+    await expect(page.getByText('Desktop and mobile notifications')).toBeVisible();
+
+    // * Pressing the down arrow should focus and show the Display tab
+    await page.keyboard.press('ArrowDown');
+    await expect(page.getByRole('tab', {name: 'Display'})).toBeFocused();
+    await expect(page.getByText('Theme', {exact: true})).toBeVisible();
+
+    // * Pressing the down arrow should focus and show the Sidebar tab
+    await page.keyboard.press('ArrowDown');
+    await expect(page.getByRole('tab', {name: 'Sidebar'})).toBeFocused();
+    await expect(page.getByText('Group unread channels separately')).toBeVisible();
+
+    // * Pressing the down arrow should focus and show the Advanced tab
+    await page.keyboard.press('ArrowDown');
+    await expect(page.getByRole('tab', {name: 'Advanced'})).toBeFocused();
+    await expect(page.getByText('Enable Post Formatting')).toBeVisible();
+
+    // * Pressing the up arrow should go back through the tabs
+    await page.keyboard.press('ArrowUp');
+    await expect(page.getByRole('tab', {name: 'Sidebar'})).toBeFocused();
+    await expect(page.getByText('Group unread channels separately')).toBeVisible();
+
+    await page.keyboard.press('ArrowUp');
+    await expect(page.getByRole('tab', {name: 'Display'})).toBeFocused();
+    await expect(page.getByText('Theme', {exact: true})).toBeVisible();
+
+    await page.keyboard.press('ArrowUp');
+    await expect(page.getByRole('tab', {name: 'Notifications'})).toBeFocused();
+    await expect(page.getByText('Desktop and mobile notifications')).toBeVisible();
+});
diff --git a/server/public/model/channel.go b/server/public/model/channel.go
index 919fd7a53f..615bbc75cf 100644
--- a/server/public/model/channel.go
+++ b/server/public/model/channel.go
@@ -147,7 +147,6 @@ type ChannelPatch struct {
 	Header           *string            `json:"header"`
 	Purpose          *string            `json:"purpose"`
 	GroupConstrained *bool              `json:"group_constrained"`
-	Type             ChannelType        `json:"type"`
 	BannerInfo       *ChannelBannerInfo `json:"banner_info"`
 }
 
diff --git a/webapp/channels/src/components/settings_sidebar/settings_sidebar.tsx b/webapp/channels/src/components/settings_sidebar/settings_sidebar.tsx
index eb8c9f01f4..8f29a55ded 100644
--- a/webapp/channels/src/components/settings_sidebar/settings_sidebar.tsx
+++ b/webapp/channels/src/components/settings_sidebar/settings_sidebar.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 
 import classNames from 'classnames';
 import React from 'react';
-import type {RefObject} from 'react';
 import {FormattedMessage} from 'react-intl';
 
 import Constants from 'utils/constants';
@@ -27,42 +26,12 @@ export type Props = {
 };
 
 export default class SettingsSidebar extends React.PureComponent<Props> {
-    buttonRefs: Map<string, RefObject<HTMLButtonElement>>;
+    buttonRefs: Map<string, HTMLButtonElement>;
 
     constructor(props: Props) {
         super(props);
 
-        // Initialize an empty Map for button refs
         this.buttonRefs = new Map();
-
-        // Initialize refs for all tabs
-        this.initializeButtonRefs(props.tabs, props.pluginTabs);
-    }
-
-    // Initialize or update button refs for all tabs
-    private initializeButtonRefs(tabs: Tab[], pluginTabs?: Tab[]) {
-        // Clear existing refs if reinitializing
-        this.buttonRefs.clear();
-
-        // Create refs for all tabs, regardless of display status
-        tabs.forEach((tab) => {
-            this.buttonRefs.set(tab.name, React.createRef());
-        });
-
-        // Create refs for plugin tabs if they exist
-        if (pluginTabs?.length) {
-            pluginTabs.forEach((tab) => {
-                this.buttonRefs.set(tab.name, React.createRef());
-            });
-        }
-    }
-
-    // Update refs when props change
-    componentDidUpdate(prevProps: Props) {
-        // Check if tabs or pluginTabs have changed
-        if (prevProps.tabs !== this.props.tabs || prevProps.pluginTabs !== this.props.pluginTabs) {
-            this.initializeButtonRefs(this.props.tabs, this.props.pluginTabs);
-        }
     }
 
     // Get all visible tabs in the correct order
@@ -78,13 +47,13 @@ export default class SettingsSidebar extends React.PureComponent<Props> {
         (e.target as Element).closest('.settings-modal')?.classList.add('display--content');
     };
 
-    public handleKeyUp = (tab: Tab, e: React.KeyboardEvent) => {
+    public handleKeyDown = (tab: Tab, e: React.KeyboardEvent) => {
         // Only handle UP and DOWN arrow keys
         if (!isKeyPressed(e, Constants.KeyCodes.UP) && !isKeyPressed(e, Constants.KeyCodes.DOWN)) {
             return;
         }
 
-        // Prevent default behavior
+        // Prevent scrolling
         e.preventDefault();
 
         // Get all visible tabs
@@ -121,7 +90,7 @@ export default class SettingsSidebar extends React.PureComponent<Props> {
         this.props.updateTab(targetTab.name);
 
         // Focus the target tab button directly
-        const targetButton = this.buttonRefs.get(targetTab.name)?.current;
+        const targetButton = this.buttonRefs.get(targetTab.name);
         if (targetButton) {
             // Use direct focus instead of a11yFocus to ensure Cypress tests can detect the focus change
             targetButton.focus();
@@ -155,11 +124,17 @@ export default class SettingsSidebar extends React.PureComponent<Props> {
                 {tab.newGroup && <hr/>}
                 <button
                     data-testid={`${tab.name}-tab-button`}
-                    ref={this.buttonRefs.get(tab.name)}
+                    ref={(element: HTMLButtonElement) => {
+                        if (element) {
+                            this.buttonRefs.set(tab.name, element);
+                        } else {
+                            this.buttonRefs.delete(tab.name);
+                        }
+                    }}
                     id={`${tab.name}Button`}
                     className={classNames('cursor--pointer style--none nav-pills__tab', {active: isActive})}
                     onClick={this.handleClick.bind(null, tab)}
-                    onKeyUp={this.handleKeyUp.bind(null, tab)}
+                    onKeyDown={this.handleKeyDown.bind(null, tab)}
                     aria-label={tab.uiName.toLowerCase()}
                     role='tab'
                     aria-selected={isActive}
diff --git a/webapp/channels/src/sass/routes/_settings.scss b/webapp/channels/src/sass/routes/_settings.scss
index 4363da0ac3..1602d80add 100644
--- a/webapp/channels/src/sass/routes/_settings.scss
+++ b/webapp/channels/src/sass/routes/_settings.scss
@@ -648,6 +648,12 @@
                     }
                 }
             }
+
+            // Remove this when MM-62778 is completed
+            &:focus-visible {
+                border-radius: 4px;
+                box-shadow: 0 0 1px 3px rgba(var(--link-color-rgb), 0.5), 0 0 0 1px var(--link-color);
+            }
         }
     }