How to quickly get the old Gmail look back

August 22, 2022 Abraham Smith

Not a fan of Gmail’s new web design? I feel you. While the changes introduced were minor, this sidebar with apps like Mail, Chat, Spaces, and Meet has cluttered things up, making checking email first thing in the morning feel more overwhelming.

Sure, you can make things a little nicer by hiding the Gmail category and label panel with a few quick tweaks. But if you’re also not a fan of other changes, like the new light blue background of the compose button, which I found annoying, it’s actually pretty easy to go back to the previous UI. (Well, at least for now. After all, we’re not sure how much longer Gmail will allow users to go back to the old design – so let’s enjoy the luxury while we still can.)

Here’s how to get the old Gmail layout back

Go to Gmail.com in your browser and log in to your account.
In the far right corner you will see the Gear icon for quick settings next to your Gmail account icon or your company name. click it

*That’s the quick settings cog you should click on.*

Once you’ve done that, you’ll see a small, rectangular menu on the side with text that reads: “You are using the new Gmail view.” Click below Go back to the original view.

A dialog box will appear asking why you are returning. There you can rant about how much you hate the design – or just get on with your life, ignore it and click Reload.

*You can scold and then click “Reload”.*

Voila! You’re done and everything should be back to normal. However, if you suddenly change your mind right after returning to the old interface, you can switch back to the new one just as easily.

How to switch back to the new Gmail theme

After logging into your gmail Account in a browser, click again Gear icon for quick settings in the upper right corner.

Again you will see a small, rectangular menu – but this time with text that reads: “You are using the original Gmail view.” Click on Try the new Gmail view.