Gmail rolled out it’s new look for almost everyone today and I’m sure many of you, who are like me must be thinking: how to get old Gmail look back. Somehow, despite of neat and clean look of new Gmail interface, I prefer the old Gmail look.
Probably, I’m use to that or may be in new Gmail I found readability to be less. Anyways, new Gmail look is probably here to stay but for me, I’m ditching the new look and moving back to old classic Gmail look.
Getting back old Gmail design:
I assume, you are already promoted to New Gmail design and now there is no option in settings, which will let you change the theme to old design. Even, I started searching from the Gmail settings, and couldn’t find much apart from theme tab where we can select different Gmail themes including HD themes.
Thanks to Google forums, it pointed me in the right direction: Login to your Gmail account and I assumed, you are already using new Gmail theme. Click on Gear box which will be on the mail navbar. (as shown in image). Click on “Revert to the old look temporarily”. (Gmail new design is now permanent, see new solution below).
When you click on Revert to the old look temporarily, Gmail will ask you to give a feedback about the new look or you can directly hit the revert back to old Gmail look and you will get back old Gmail design.
I’m not sure how long Gmail is planning to keep old Gmail as an option, but till the time Gmail retire old design completely, you can use this trick to revert to old Gmail design.
If you ask about my opinion on new Gmail design, I would say it looks clean but reading and finding Email from new UI sounds like a task to me. For now, I’m happy with my old Gmail look, hopefully Gmail will come up with such changes, which will be accepted by everyone.
Update: The temporary method doesn’t work any more and here is another work around to get old Gmail look back. You need to Install an extension for Chrome or on Firefox.
Depending upon your browser, once you have installed this addon, head over to this userstyles.org page and install this script. Once done, reload your Gmail account and you will see old Gmail interface is back. This script basically modifies the style and CSS of Gmail and work only on system where you have installed the script. Anyhow, I find this useful than using new Gmail which is somehow not getting into my good list because of look and design.
What’s your opinion on new Gmail design? Would you be bringing old Gmail look back or you going to stick with new look? Do let us know your reaction about new Gmail design?
Subscribe Updates, Its FREE!
Article by Harsh Agrawal
Harsh has written 1206 articles.
If you like This post, you can follow ShoutMeLoud on Twitter. Subscribe to ShoutMeLoud feed via RSS or EMAIL to receive instant updates.
→ 
→ 
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Like you, I vastly prefer the old look. Sure the new version looks pretty, but it’s hard to read (I really hate that semi- transparent look where you can sort of see your theme in the background of the text. I don’t want that. I want a simple white field). I also found that it triggered migraines. I don’t know if other people who get migraines have the same experience, but I switched back very quickly. I then decided to try again, because I know that change is inevitable and I might as well try to get used to it, right? I left it in the new look for a couple of days and in using it, found that it requires a lot of very precise clicking around. I have a disability, so this is difficult for me. I switched back again, but did provide them with feedback letting them know that the new design have several barriers to accessibility in it. Wonder if they include accessibility issues in beta testing?
Hey harsh, Thanks for this tutorial because I am not easy with this new look !!
Hi Harsh
I am not different with you prefer the old Gmail look. Although the new one looks more functional but I found the old one is more simple and easier to navigate.
Great tip, I just switched mine to the old one!
Thanks Kimi.
Yes Harsh,
Yes, we have to get accustomed to the new look, I think!
Thanks and Regards…..
Nice post but I think that the new GMail look is better. Why would someone get the old one back?
Hate what Google has done with the Gmail look and its annoying that you don’t get to have the look you want. However I’m not going back to the old look if its just a temp thing as I will have to go through the whole readjustment thing again.
Thank Q for the tutorial Harsh. I use chat,labels,quick links a lot to connect with my friends and few important mails in this new look it is difficult to access them so i switched back to old version
Thanks for the guidance to get back to the older version, but now in my account “Revert to the old look temporarily”, itself has dissapeared, I don’t see this at any place when trying to drop down anything. What to do, pls help me. I badly want to go back to older version only.
It is mid April 2012 and it appears the option to switch back has gone bye-bye. I am so annoyed with the new look, the basic function of scrolling up/down on the page or within an email is just wrong…it just doesn’t work!!! The arrows disappear beyond the page’s border – you can’t use the up scroll cause you can’t get to it! When I was reading an email and the text went beyond my view I attempted to scroll down to continue and guess what? There was not an option within the email to scroll down – there was no scroll bar at all.
I take issue with them changing to, in my opinion, a way flawed product and not allowing to switch back to old view. We as human are creatures of habit and I don’t want to take time to re-learn, search for…….whatever in email. I mean its email – how difficult do you have to make it? The new design, its look and functionality is so convoluted and so not user friendly. As an organization Google – what have you gotten so big that you have forgotten what got you there?
Next step – complaint directly to Google.