How to revert to the old Gmail design
Chances are you’re not new to Gmail. These days, almost everyone seems to have a reason tocreate a Google account. In late January of this year,Google announced a new viewthat integrates Gmail, Chat, and Meet all in one location under the main menu. At first, users could opt in and test the new design or stick with what was familiar. Now that the design has begun rolling out to all users, it’sbeen getting a lot of hateand backlash.
So, whether you are just not a fan of the new design or you miss the old layout, we can help you get that old look back, at least for a little while.
The inevitable change in the tech world
It’s one of the most expected patterns in the tech world—something we know and love gets a redesign, a bunch of people get up in arms over it because they hate change, and the internet gets flooded with complaints. Most of the time, when the well of hostility runs dry, everyone gets used to it and moves on.
There have been some colossal redesign fails in the past, like the infamous Yahoo redesign and branding disaster in 2013; or does anyone remember Digg? They laid off more than a third of their staff in the wake of a failed redesign, and now they’re mostly forgotten.
This Google redesign is not one of those fails. It’s pretty minimal, and you might not have even noticed if you don’t use Chat or Meet. Naturally, unexpected and unwanted changes can be hard, so we’re going to go over what’s different, what some people don’t like about it, and how to go back to the old view easily.
Breaking down the differences: Old view vs. new view
Here’s how the new layout looks. When Chat, Spaces, and Meet are enabled in theSettingsmenu, the new layout adds a sidebar for easier navigation. You can configure these by going to theQuick settings gear iconin the upper-right corner and clicking onCustomizeunderApps in GmailandChat and Meet.
it’s possible to also activate it by choosingSee all settings, and selectingChat and Meetfrom the top menu bar. There are additional Chat settings for notifications and blocking located there as well. With these settings off, the layout is exactly the same as the layout in the old Gmail, with the only differences being aesthetic. With them on, the difference is that the Chat, Spaces, and Meet sections of the navigation pane are moved to the new sidebar.
So, what’s wrong with the changes?
So, what is there to dislike in this new design? When the sidebar isn’t collapsed, it takes up a little more screen space, but that’s about it regarding the layout. The big changes are visual, and the harshest criticism seems to be focused on Google’s newMaterial Youdesign. It’s the most significant overhaul sinceMaterial Designlaunched in 2014, andthere are a lot of technical details to dive into.
You can look at some changes below and see if you can spot the differences. Google moved from red to blue accent colors, slightly changed the color of highlighted emails, rounded some panel edges, and changed the default font and kerning. Let’s take a look.
Chat and Meet turned off view changes
Main menu view changes
Chat and Meet view changes
The most significant and noticeable change is that theComposebutton looks different. This is what people seem to be universally complaining about the most, calling it ugly and a terrible design choice.
Plus, the color has changed to blue, but we can also see that the edges are less rounded, the button is slightly taller, and Google has opted for a flat minimalism by removing the shading around the old button.
How to change your Gmail back to the old design
If you’re not a fan of the new design, you can quickly and easily revert to the old one.
That’s all it takes to switch your Gmail view. However, don’t get too comfortable; you won’t be able to toggle between the two forever.
When does Google make the new view default?
In the tech world, we often get a chance to test new designs and get used to them before they are officially rolled out. It’s rare for a company to cancel a redesign based on negative feedback from the user base minority. Eventually, the new design becomes the default, and we no longer have a choice to go back. So, like it or not, this new Google design is here to stay.
Google had planned on making the new view the default experience for usersby the end of Q2 2022. They may be a little behind, butGoogle’s officially announced, “by August 5th, users who have not opted-in will begin seeing the new experience by default, but can revert to classic Gmail via settings. Within the next two months, this will become the default experience with no option to revert back.”
A lot can change over the years (just look at the changes from theGoogle Pixel 6 phone to the Pixel 7), and sometimes it’s hard to get used to something new. Keep in mind that you’ll need to get used to the new view eventually, and the deadline is coming up fast, so you might want tostart learningabout the new integrated Gmail layout now and give it a shot. Or you may try one of the otherbest email apps for Android; it’s up to you.
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