Can the floating narrative panel in a floating sidecar layout be removed from the sidecar slide in ArcGIS StoryMaps?

Answer

No, the floating narrative panel in a floating sidecar layout cannot be removed from the sidecar slide in ArcGIS StoryMaps. This is by design. The floating narrative panel is designed to overlay, and it obscures the sidecar slide. The floating sidecar layout allows the user to be more flexible in the placement of the panel on the slide. As a workaround, use the docked sidecar layout to ensure the slide is fully visible and not obscured.

The image below shows a story using a floating sidecar layout with the narrative panel overlaying the sidecar slide in ArcGIS StoryMaps.

The following is the workflow to change the sidebar layout to the docked sidecar layout to fully display the slide in ArcGIS StoryMaps.

1. Log in to ArcGIS Online and open ArcGIS StoryMaps.
2. In Stories, select the desired story.
3. On the sidecar panel, expand Options, and click Change layout.

4. In the Select a sidecar layout window, select Docked.

5. Click Save.

Optionally, to retain the floating sidecar layout, click Change panel appearance  to edit the appearance and position of the narrative panel. The panel's appearance can be configured in terms of its style, horizontal position and size.

The image below shows the configuration of the panel appearance for a floating panel with a transparent background, right-aligned position, and small size in a floating sidecar layout in ArcGIS StoryMaps.