diff --git a/packages/app-mobile/components/screens/Notes.tsx b/packages/app-mobile/components/screens/Notes.tsx
index ce440735cf9..4de1ab756aa 100644
--- a/packages/app-mobile/components/screens/Notes.tsx
+++ b/packages/app-mobile/components/screens/Notes.tsx
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ const { BackButtonService } = require('../../services/back-button.js');
 import { AppState } from '../../utils/types';
 import { NoteEntity } from '@joplin/lib/services/database/types';
 import { itemIsInTrash } from '@joplin/lib/services/trash';
-const { ALL_NOTES_FILTER_ID } = require('@joplin/lib/reserved-ids.js');
 
 // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any -- Old code before rule was applied
 class NotesScreenComponent extends BaseScreenComponent<any> {
@@ -230,34 +229,19 @@ class NotesScreenComponent extends BaseScreenComponent<any> {
 		let buttonFolderId = this.props.selectedFolderId !== Folder.conflictFolderId() ? this.props.selectedFolderId : null;
 		if (!buttonFolderId) buttonFolderId = this.props.activeFolderId;
 
-		const isAllNotes =
-			this.props.notesParentType === 'SmartFilter'
-			&& this.props.selectedSmartFilterId === ALL_NOTES_FILTER_ID;
-
-		// Usually, when showing all notes, activeFolderId/selectedFolderId is set to the last
-		// active folder.
-		// If the app starts showing all notes, activeFolderId/selectedFolderId are
-		// empty or null. As such, we need a special case to show the buttons:
-		const addFolderNoteButtons = !!buttonFolderId || isAllNotes;
+		const addFolderNoteButtons = !!buttonFolderId;
 		const thisComp = this;
 
 		const makeActionButtonComp = () => {
 			if ((this.props.notesParentType === 'Folder' && itemIsInTrash(parent)) || !Folder.atLeastOneRealFolderExists(this.props.folders)) return null;
 
-			const getTargetFolderId = async () => {
-				if (!buttonFolderId && isAllNotes) {
-					return (await Folder.defaultFolder()).id;
-				}
-				return buttonFolderId;
-			};
 			if (addFolderNoteButtons && this.props.folders.length > 0) {
 				const buttons = [];
 				buttons.push({
 					label: _('New to-do'),
 					onPress: async () => {
-						const folderId = await getTargetFolderId();
 						const isTodo = true;
-						void this.newNoteNavigate(folderId, isTodo);
+						void this.newNoteNavigate(buttonFolderId, isTodo);
 					},
 					color: '#9b59b6',
 					icon: 'checkbox-outline',
@@ -266,9 +250,8 @@ class NotesScreenComponent extends BaseScreenComponent<any> {
 				buttons.push({
 					label: _('New note'),
 					onPress: async () => {
-						const folderId = await getTargetFolderId();
 						const isTodo = false;
-						void this.newNoteNavigate(folderId, isTodo);
+						void this.newNoteNavigate(buttonFolderId, isTodo);
 					},
 					color: '#9b59b6',
 					icon: 'document',
diff --git a/packages/app-mobile/root.tsx b/packages/app-mobile/root.tsx
index 5b42946c35a..89152df1a81 100644
--- a/packages/app-mobile/root.tsx
+++ b/packages/app-mobile/root.tsx
@@ -215,7 +215,10 @@ const generalMiddleware = (store: any) => (next: any) => async (action: any) =>
 	}
 
 	if (action.type === 'NAV_GO' && action.routeName === 'Notes') {
-		Setting.setValue('activeFolderId', newState.selectedFolderId);
+		if ('selectedFolderId' in newState) {
+			Setting.setValue('activeFolderId', newState.selectedFolderId);
+		}
+
 		const notesParent: NotesParent = {
 			type: action.smartFilterId ? 'SmartFilter' : 'Folder',
 			selectedItemId: action.smartFilterId ? action.smartFilterId : newState.selectedFolderId,
@@ -469,6 +472,21 @@ const initializeTempDir = async () => {
 	return tempDir;
 };
 
+const getInitialActiveFolder = async () => {
+	let folderId = Setting.value('activeFolderId');
+
+	// In some cases (e.g. new profile/install), activeFolderId hasn't been set yet.
+	// Because activeFolderId is used to determine the parent for new notes, initialize
+	// it here:
+	if (!folderId) {
+		folderId = (await Folder.defaultFolder())?.id;
+		if (folderId) {
+			Setting.setValue('activeFolderId', folderId);
+		}
+	}
+	return await Folder.load(folderId);
+};
+
 // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/ban-types -- Old code before rule was applied
 async function initialize(dispatch: Function) {
 	shimInit();
@@ -686,10 +704,7 @@ async function initialize(dispatch: Function) {
 		// 	items: masterKeys,
 		// });
 
-		const folderId = Setting.value('activeFolderId');
-		let folder = await Folder.load(folderId);
-
-		if (!folder) folder = await Folder.defaultFolder();
+		const folder = await getInitialActiveFolder();
 
 		dispatch({
 			type: 'FOLDER_SET_COLLAPSED_ALL',
diff --git a/packages/lib/reducer.ts b/packages/lib/reducer.ts
index cd7f632c0f6..0e9823b0915 100644
--- a/packages/lib/reducer.ts
+++ b/packages/lib/reducer.ts
@@ -1335,6 +1335,12 @@ const reducer = produce((draft: Draft<State> = defaultState, action: any) => {
 		handleHistory(draft, action);
 	}
 
+	if (action.type === 'SETTING_UPDATE_ALL' || (action.type === 'SETTING_UPDATE_ONE' && action.key === 'activeFolderId')) {
+		// To allow creating notes when opening the app with all notes and/or tags,
+		// a "last selected folder ID" needs to be set.
+		draft.selectedFolderId ??= draft.settings.activeFolderId;
+	}
+
 	for (const additionalReducer of additionalReducers) {
 		additionalReducer.reducer(draft, action);
 	}