diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e98ac33c9..38761bb61 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -50,3 +50,6 @@ common/doc-dev/_build/html
 
 # Linter configuration
 .flake8
+
+# Preferences files
+qt/main_preferences
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/common/test/test_app.py b/common/test/test_app.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7f4091839
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/test/test_app.py
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+# TODO: add copyright text
+
+
+import unittest
+import os
+import sys
+import itertools
+#from test import generic
+import json
+
+sys.path.append(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), ".."))
+from qt import app
+
+from qt import qttools_path
+qttools_path.registerBackintimePath('common')
+
+# Workaround until the codebase is rectified/equalized.
+from common import tools
+tools.initiate_translation(None)
+
+from common import logger
+from qt import qttools
+from common import backintime
+from common import guiapplicationinstance
+
+
+class TestSavePreferences(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        cfg = backintime.startApp('backintime-qt')
+
+        raiseCmd = ''
+        if len(sys.argv) > 1:
+            raiseCmd = '\n'.join(sys.argv[1:])
+
+        appInstance = guiapplicationinstance.GUIApplicationInstance(cfg.appInstanceFile(), raiseCmd)
+        cfg.PLUGIN_MANAGER.load(cfg=cfg)
+        cfg.PLUGIN_MANAGER.appStart()
+
+        logger.openlog()
+        qapp = qttools.createQApplication(cfg.APP_NAME)
+        translator = qttools.initiate_translator(cfg.language())
+        qapp.installTranslator(translator)
+
+        self.mainWindow = app.MainWindow(cfg, appInstance, qapp)
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        #cfg.PLUGIN_MANAGER.appExit()
+        #appInstance.exitApplication()
+        #logger.closelog()
+        pass
+
+    def test_save_preferences_writes_file(self):
+        self.mainWindow.save_preferences()
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists('main_preferences'))
+
+    def test_save_preferences_writes_correct_data(self):
+        test_preferences = {'key1': 'value1', 'key2': 'value2'}
+        self.mainWindow.main_preferences = test_preferences
+        self.mainWindow.save_preferences()
+        with open('main_preferences', 'r') as file:
+            saved_preferences = json.load(file)
+        self.assertEqual(saved_preferences, test_preferences)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()
diff --git a/qt/app.py b/qt/app.py
index b4ce7e34b..ebc7c03e2 100644
--- a/qt/app.py
+++ b/qt/app.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 import signal
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 from tempfile import TemporaryDirectory
+import json
 
 # We need to import common/tools.py
 import qttools_path
@@ -133,6 +134,17 @@ def __init__(self, config, appInstance, qapp):
         # shortcuts without buttons
         self._create_shortcuts_without_actions()
 
+        # get user preferences
+        self.main_preferences = self.get_preferences()
+        if self.main_preferences is None:
+            self.main_preferences = {'show_toolbar_text': False}
+            self.save_preferences()
+
+        # GUI elements to use throughout class
+        self.actions_for_toolbar = None
+        self.icon_text_actions = []
+        self.toolbar = None
+
         self._create_actions()
         self._create_menubar()
         self._create_main_toolbar()
@@ -241,7 +253,7 @@ def __init__(self, config, appInstance, qapp):
             self.filesView.header().sortIndicatorSection(),
             self.filesView.header().sortIndicatorOrder())
         self.filesView.header() \
-                      .sortIndicatorChanged.connect(self.filesViewModel.sort)
+            .sortIndicatorChanged.connect(self.filesViewModel.sort)
 
         self.stackFilesView.setCurrentWidget(self.filesView)
 
@@ -251,7 +263,7 @@ def __init__(self, config, appInstance, qapp):
         # context menu for Files View
         self.filesView.setContextMenuPolicy(Qt.ContextMenuPolicy.CustomContextMenu)
         self.filesView.customContextMenuRequested \
-                      .connect(self.contextMenuClicked)
+            .connect(self.contextMenuClicked)
         self.contextMenu = QMenu(self)
         self.contextMenu.addAction(self.act_restore)
         self.contextMenu.addAction(self.act_restore_to)
@@ -393,7 +405,7 @@ def __init__(self, config, appInstance, qapp):
         # populate lists
         self.updateProfiles()
         self.comboProfiles.currentIndexChanged \
-                          .connect(self.comboProfileChanged)
+            .connect(self.comboProfileChanged)
 
         self.filesView.setFocus()
 
@@ -593,6 +605,11 @@ def _create_actions(self):
             'act_snapshots_dialog': (
                 icon.SNAPSHOTS, _('Compare snapshots…'),
                 self.btnSnapshotsClicked, None, None),
+
+            # Could be moved into dedicated preferences window in the future
+            'act_show_toolbar_text':  (
+                None, _('Show toolbar text'),
+                self.btnShowToolbarTextClicked, None, None),
         }
 
         for attr in action_dict:
@@ -605,6 +622,14 @@ def _create_actions(self):
             action = QAction(ico, txt, self) if ico else \
                 QAction(txt, self)
 
+            # Save action to use elsewhere in class
+            self.icon_text_actions.append([attr, action, ico, txt])
+
+            # Make items checkboxes
+            if attr == 'act_show_toolbar_text':
+                action.setCheckable(True)
+                action.setChecked(self.main_preferences['show_toolbar_text'])
+
             # Connect handler function
             if slot:
                 action.triggered.connect(slot)
@@ -677,6 +702,9 @@ def _create_menubar(self):
                 self.act_restore_parent,
                 self.act_restore_parent_to,
             ),
+            _('&Preferences'): (
+                self.act_show_toolbar_text
+            ),
             _('&Help'): (
                 self.act_help_help,
                 self.act_help_configfile,
@@ -692,9 +720,10 @@ def _create_menubar(self):
         # Filter out 'None' from 'Back In &Time'
         menu_dict['Back In &Time'] = tuple(a for a in menu_dict['Back In &Time'] if a is not None)
 
-        for key in menu_dict:
+        for key, actions in menu_dict.items():
             menu = self.menuBar().addMenu(key)
-            menu.addActions(menu_dict[key])
+            menu.addActions(actions) if isinstance(actions, tuple) else \
+                menu.addAction(actions)
             menu.setToolTipsVisible(True)
 
         # The action of the restore menu. It is used by the menuBar and by the
@@ -719,14 +748,14 @@ def _create_menubar(self):
     def _create_main_toolbar(self):
         """Create the main toolbar and connect it to actions."""
 
-        toolbar = self.addToolBar('main')
-        toolbar.setFloatable(False)
+        self.toolbar = self.addToolBar('main')
+        self.toolbar.setFloatable(False)
 
         # Drop-Down: Profiles
         self.comboProfiles = qttools.ProfileCombo(self)
-        self.comboProfilesAction = toolbar.addWidget(self.comboProfiles)
+        self.comboProfilesAction = self.toolbar.addWidget(self.comboProfiles)
 
-        actions_for_toolbar = [
+        self.actions_for_toolbar = [
             self.act_take_snapshot,
             self.act_pause_take_snapshot,
             self.act_resume_take_snapshot,
@@ -743,21 +772,22 @@ def _create_main_toolbar(self):
             actions_for_toolbar.append(self.act_suspend)
 
         # Add each action to toolbar
-        for act in actions_for_toolbar:
-            toolbar.addAction(act)
+        for act in self.actions_for_toolbar:
+            self.toolbar.addAction(act)
 
             # Assume an explicit tooltip if it is different from "text()".
             # Note that Qt use "text()" as "toolTip()" by default.
-            if act.toolTip() != act.text():
+            if act.toolTip() == act.text():
+                continue
 
-                if QApplication.instance().isRightToLeft():
-                    # RTL/BIDI language like Hebrew
-                    button_tip = f'{act.toolTip()} :{act.text()}'
-                else:
-                    # (default) LTR language (e.g. English)
-                    button_tip = f'{act.text()}: {act.toolTip()}'
+            if QApplication.instance().isRightToLeft():
+                # RTL/BIDI language like Hebrew
+                button_tip = f'{act.toolTip()} :{act.text()}'
+            else:
+                # (default) LTR language (e.g. English)
+                button_tip = f'{act.text()}: {act.toolTip()}'
 
-                toolbar.widgetForAction(act).setToolTip(button_tip)
+            self.toolbar.widgetForAction(act).setToolTip(button_tip)
 
         # toolbar sub menu: take snapshot
         submenu_take_snapshot = QMenu(self)
@@ -766,7 +796,7 @@ def _create_main_toolbar(self):
         submenu_take_snapshot.setToolTipsVisible(True)
 
         # get the toolbar buttons widget...
-        button_take_snapshot = toolbar.widgetForAction(self.act_take_snapshot)
+        button_take_snapshot = self.toolbar.widgetForAction(self.act_take_snapshot)
         # ...and add the menu to it
         button_take_snapshot.setMenu(submenu_take_snapshot)
         button_take_snapshot.setPopupMode(
@@ -777,6 +807,8 @@ def _create_main_toolbar(self):
         toolbar.insertSeparator(self.act_shutdown)
         if self.shutdown.canSuspend():
             toolbar.insertSeparator(self.act_suspend)
+            
+        self.set_toolbar_icon_text()
 
     def _create_and_get_filesview_toolbar(self):
         """Create the filesview toolbar object, connect it to actions and
@@ -994,8 +1026,8 @@ def updateTakeSnapshot(self, force_wait_lock=False):
 
             if not self.act_stop_take_snapshot.isVisible():
                 for action in (self.act_pause_take_snapshot,
-                            self.act_resume_take_snapshot,
-                            self.act_stop_take_snapshot):
+                               self.act_resume_take_snapshot,
+                               self.act_stop_take_snapshot):
                     action.setEnabled(True)
             self.act_take_snapshot.setVisible(False)
             self.act_pause_take_snapshot.setVisible(not paused)
@@ -1186,6 +1218,9 @@ def updateSnapshotActions(self, item = None):
         self.act_remove_snapshot.setEnabled(enabled)
         self.act_snapshot_logview.setEnabled(enabled)
 
+        # setEnabled returns icon, which is not ideal if buttons should only show text
+        self.set_toolbar_icon_text()
+
     def timeLineChanged(self):
         item = self.timeLine.currentItem()
         self.updateSnapshotActions(item)
@@ -1394,17 +1429,17 @@ def backupOnRestore(self):
         cb = QCheckBox(_(
             'Create backup copies with trailing {suffix}\n'
             'before overwriting or removing local elements.').format(
-                suffix=self.snapshots.backupSuffix()))
+            suffix=self.snapshots.backupSuffix()))
 
         cb.setChecked(self.config.backupOnRestore())
         cb.setToolTip(_(
             "Newer versions of files will be renamed with trailing "
             "{suffix} before restoring.\n"
             "If you don't need them anymore you can remove them with {cmd}")
-            .format(suffix=self.snapshots.backupSuffix(),
-                    cmd='find ./ -name "*{suffix}" -delete'
-                        .format(suffix=self.snapshots.backupSuffix()))
-        )
+                      .format(suffix=self.snapshots.backupSuffix(),
+                              cmd='find ./ -name "*{suffix}" -delete'
+                              .format(suffix=self.snapshots.backupSuffix()))
+                      )
         return {
             'widget': cb,
             'retFunc': cb.isChecked,
@@ -1685,8 +1720,8 @@ def openPath(self, rel_path):
         # The class "GenericNonSnapshot" indicates that "Now" is selected
         # in the snapshots timeline widget.
         if (os.path.exists(full_path)
-            and (isinstance(self.sid, snapshots.GenericNonSnapshot)  # "Now"
-                 or self.sid.isExistingPathInsideSnapshotFolder(rel_path))):
+                and (isinstance(self.sid, snapshots.GenericNonSnapshot)  # "Now"
+                     or self.sid.isExistingPathInsideSnapshotFolder(rel_path))):
 
             if os.path.isdir(full_path):
                 self.path = rel_path
@@ -1928,6 +1963,38 @@ def slot_setup_language(self):
     def slot_help_translation(self):
         self._open_approach_translator_dialog()
 
+    def btnShowToolbarTextClicked(self, checked):
+        self.main_preferences['show_toolbar_text'] = checked
+        self.save_preferences()
+        self.set_toolbar_icon_text()
+
+    def set_toolbar_icon_text(self):
+        """Based on user preference, this sets the toolbar buttons to display either text or icons."""
+        for action in self.actions_for_toolbar:
+            attr, act, ico, txt = [a for a in self.icon_text_actions if a[1] == action][0]
+            widget = self.toolbar.widgetForAction(act)
+
+            if self.main_preferences['show_toolbar_text'] or not ico:
+                widget.setIcon(QIcon())
+            else:
+                widget.setIcon(ico)
+
+            setattr(self, attr, act)
+
+    def get_preferences(self):
+        """Returns a dictionary of the main user-preferences from a json-formatted text file."""
+        file = 'main_preferences'
+        if not os.path.exists(file) or os.path.getsize(file) == 0:
+            return
+
+        with open('main_preferences', 'r') as file:
+            return json.load(file)
+
+    def save_preferences(self):
+        """Writes user-preferences to a text file."""
+        with open('main_preferences', 'w') as file:
+            json.dump(self.main_preferences, file, indent=4)
+
 
 class ExtraMouseButtonEventFilter(QObject):
     """