Make Gmail Beautiful with a Chrome Extension

If you’re a Gmail user who’s frustrated with the cluttered interface, I have a simple and free tool for you.  It’s a free Chrome extension, aptly named Simplify. The extension removes all the visual clutter within Gmail, including the sidebar and excess sidebars. It makes the Gmail experience you crave and wish Google would have made in the first place.

Simplify was made by Michael Leggett who was the lead designer for Gmail from 2008 to 2012. It is safe to say he knows what he is doing. The extension is safe using CSS and a little Javascript. It never sends data back or shares information with anyone.

I’m glad you asked. You should always be super careful what extensions or apps you use with your email. Simplify is mostly some CSS plus a little Javascript to apply the CSS. There are no trackers. No data is sent or shared. No ads ever. Promise. And all the code can be inspected on Github.

Need a Google Drive version of this extension

You can download the extension from the Chrome store for free. I am hoping the next extension Micheal makes is one to declutter Google Drive. I want Drive more focused on the files and less about everything else going on with the interface. I am thinking Dropbox but slightly more minimal.

Screenshots of Simplify

Similar Posts

  • Ghost 4.0 Update Gives a Self-Hosted Substack Alternative

    Ghost 4.0 came out today! It’s been a long-delayed update, partly due to COVID, but it’s finally here for everyone. The update brings memberships and the newsletter feature of the beta. I have been using the lab “beta” features since the early days of the launch. They were largely unpolished and half-baked up until today’s…

  • 5 Things you didn’t know about online advertising

    Online advertising is a growing business – it’s estimated to be a $15 billion industry. That’s larger than the TV advertising industry by leaps and bounds! I’m the lead digital strategist at Digiboost, which works with small businesses and SaaS startups in San Antonio. I’ve learned a lot about digital advertising in a short period….

  • Why Whoop and Oura Are My Go-To Fitness Tools

    I’ve always been interested in tracking my health. For years, I used the Gyroscope app along with Fitbits and other fitness trackers. That all changed when my Apple Watch Series 2 unexpectedly died and I haven’t used anything since. Now I’m back into fitness and body tracking, partly because the health and longevity space is…