Introducing a way to streamline Gmail
Now with a few clicks you can get rid of the features of Gmail you don’t use and focus on what matters most for a quicker more enjoyable email experience.
Add to Firefox Add to Chrome version: 1.4 (what changed?)
Choose what you want, get rid of the rest.
- Gives you that feeling you get when you finally decide to clear off your desk.
- Makes a Zero Inbox truly zero leaving you with the cleanest possible slate.
- Provides a 'Simplify Rows' option which tackles the heart of the clutter, hiding unnecessary icons while keeping all the functionality.
- Lets you hide Chat, but still respond to incoming requests.
- Remove ads, if you must.
- Hide the header, but get it back in a jiffy. We add an itty-bitty toggle arrow for quick access to settings.
- Access search even when the header is hidden. Just hover over it or use Gmail's forward slash keyboard shortcut.
- Hide the footer, is there anything down there you ever use anyway?
The minimalist control panel is tucked neatly away beneath the upper-right link and provides just enough control.
Who made this thing?
Hi. I’m Matt Constantine. I design and build web applications and constantly fight the urge to add more and more things people don’t want. You can read what I’m into on my home page, or, follow me on Twitter.
I used to love how streamlined Gmail was and I longed for a return to the simple life. Then I found that Leo Babauta and the Zen Habits community felt the same way. We all cobbled together some Greasmonkey scripts but they didn’t feel quite right. Leo thought an extension would be great, and I agreed.
Any tips?
Sure. Turn on the Gmail keyboard shortcuts. They’re hands-down the best feature of Gmail. Just go into settings and you’ll see it in there. Then anytime you feel inspired, press the Question Mark on your keyboard (as in shift-/). A handy pop-up list of shortcuts will appear.
Get used to them and you’ll find you don’t really need all those buttons anyway. Or jump into the deep end, use Minimalist Gmail to hide everything as a way to force yourself to learn a shortcut or two. Your productivity will thank you.
Add to Firefox Add to Chrome version: 1.4 (what's changed?)
Troubleshooting
The good news is that Minimalist Gmail works for most people. The bad news is that it won't work for everyone. Here's a few things you can try:
1. Try turning off Gmail Labs.
Follow this link to Temporarily Disable Labs. Did that work? If so, then one of the Labs features is messing things up. Try disabling them one by one until it works.
2. Try using the default theme.
Follow this link to change your theme. I recommend the Classic Theme.
3. If all else fails, try creating a new temporary Gmail account.
This will ensure that your gmail is "out of the box" with no special settings. If Minimalist Gmail works there, then the problem must be related to a setting or Labs feature on your main account.
4. Bonus for web developers
Do you know how to get a CSS path from an on page element? If so, that would be extremely helpful to me and lead towards a rapid fix. I usually use the Web Developer toolbar's "Display Element Information" option to get a path. CSS paths look like ".q0CeU.z .A1.D.E > .nH > .nH > .yV".