Gmail Is Kind of a Mess. Here’s How to Fix It

There are 1.5 billion (with a b!) energetic Gmail customers, which Google clearly sees as an asset it could possibly leverage. Perhaps you’ve got seen: Google retains filling the interface with buttons for different providers.

The left sidebar on the desktop, and the underside sidebar on cellular, now have massive buttons for Chat, Space, and Meet, three providers Google would very very like you to begin utilizing.

A chonky sidebar with 4 buttons takes up a lot of house, seemingly simply to remind Gmail customers that Google affords videoconferencing and chat providers. It’s even worse on the cellular model, the place the chonkbar consistently lives on the underside of the display. It’s a lot of litter, I’m drained of seeing it, and I do not assume I’m alone.

You might take this as a chance to replace Gmail with a privacy-first email provider, however I perceive not everybody desires to change e mail addresses. With that in thoughts, this is how to hold your Gmail tackle with out having to have a look at the chonky Gmail person interface—or, in case you desire, how to cover the chonkbar so you may get again to having fun with Gmail.

Try an Email Client

It’s okay in case you forgot about e mail shoppers—all of us did. It’s time to bear in mind, although, as a result of they present you your emails and in any other case keep out of your approach. Here’s a few I like:

1. On Apple units, the default Mail app is clear, quick, and even blocks email tracking by default.
2. On Windows, there’s the default Mail app, which could be very clear and stays out of your approach.
3. Outlook is de facto good now, and it is included in case you’re already paying for Microsoft Office. The cellular model, specifically, is way cleaner than Gmail in some ways, and it is a fairly good calendar app too.
4. Thunderbird continues to be a superb open supply e mail consumer for all desktop working techniques.
5. Canary is a clear, quick, safe e mail consumer for Windows, Android, and Apple units. You can optionally use the default Gmail keyboard shortcuts, which is a massive deal in case you’re a longtime Gmail energy person.

All of these purposes make it straightforward to add a Gmail account after putting in, so you possibly can check out a few and see what you want finest. And all the pieces will sync between these shoppers and Gmail, so you should utilize each directly for a whereas if that helps.