

There, you can configure your own custom actions for getting around Gmail - including Inbox-like commands such as "i" for returning to your inbox from anywhere or "ESC" for closing an email and going back to a message list. If you really want to get wild, go back into Gmail's settings, click the "Advanced" tab at the top, and click the "Enable" button next to "Custom keyboard shortcuts." Once Gmail reloads, go back into the settings again and look for the new "Keyboard Shortcuts" tab along the top bar.
GO FOR GMAIL EXTENSION FULL
Once Gmail reloads, you can see a full list of available keyboard shortcuts by pressing Ctrl and ? from anywhere in the site. So first and foremost, confirm that you have keyboard shortcuts enabled: Go into Gmail's settings, scroll down the page until you see the "Keyboard shortcuts" option (within the "General" tab that comes up initially by default), click the button next to "Keyboard shortcuts on," and then scroll down and click the "Save Changes" button at the bottom of the page. Otherwise, you'll find yourself in quite the awkward pickle (and believe you me, "awkward pickle" is not a positive description for anything).

If you're gonna eliminate the on-screen buttons for things like composing a new message, you'll need to first be sure you're comfortable using the associated keyboard shortcuts. Part of the super-minimalist approach I've created relies on the fact that I use keyboard shortcuts for common Gmail commands, as I mentioned a moment ago. Step 1: Make sure you have Gmail's keyboard shortcuts enabled and configured the way you like

GO FOR GMAIL EXTENSION UPDATE
UPDATE (4/1/19): If you really want an Inbox-like vibe in Gmail, check out this quick tip for bringing the actual Inbox interface into Gmail (yes, really - not an April Fools' joke!) - and/or see how the actual creator of Gmail redesigned Inbox to bring its same minimalist principles into that environment. So how can you go about enhancing your Gmail inbox interface in a similar manner? Let's break it down. Since I almost always use Gmail's keyboard shortcuts for functions like composing new messages - which means I simply hit the letter "c" whenever I want to write a new email instead of messing with my mouse - the "Compose" button was completely redundant for me and accomplishing little more than creating clutter. Some of what I removed is just straight-up clutter - elements like the Google app icon and notification counter, typically in Gmail's upper-right corner, and all the terms and policy silliness in the site's footer - while some of it is legitimately functional stuff that I'd just as soon not have on my screen, such as the giant "Compose" button that normally resides in the site's upper-left area.

Quite a change from the default Gmail view, eh? As you can see, I've stripped away most of the superfluous text and buttons and left only the elements I actually need for my day-to-day email management. Pictures are worth at least 997 words in situations like these, so let me begin by showing you what my own Gmail inbox looks like right now, in the days since I moved back into it from Inbox and set out to make the transition tolerable: JR
GO FOR GMAIL EXTENSION ANDROID
Just as you can recreate Inbox's best features in Gmail - and make the Gmail Android app a touch more pleasant to use - with a teensy bit of effort, you can pare down Gmail's desktop interface and transform it into a calm and uncluttered center for email productivity. So now that Inbox is on the way out, what's a discerning email user to do?įear not, my friends, for there is hope yet. Plain and simple, the Gmail desktop site is busy and cluttered, particularly if you've spent any time working with its far more minimal and aesthetically pleasing Inbox cousin. Google's recently revamped Gmail website has a lot of good things going for it - but the service's interface could still use some serious improvement.
