Enable & Customize the New Google Toolbar

Google's Updated Toolbar: Access and Customization

Recently, Google rolled out a redesigned toolbar across its suite of services. This new interface supersedes the previously ubiquitous black bar found at the top of Google products, featuring an improved dropdown menu and a refreshed Profile section, contributing to a more streamlined aesthetic.

Initially, access to this updated toolbar wasn't universally available. A prior article detailed a method for enabling it through cookie modification, a technique that proved effective. However, for those seeking a simpler approach, alternative solutions now exist to quickly implement the new toolbar.

Gaining Access to the New Toolbar

Despite the rollout, Google did not initially offer customization options for the new toolbar. Users are unable to rearrange items or add/remove features, being limited to the configuration determined by Google. The following methods provide access and, crucially, customization capabilities.

Two effective strategies are available to obtain the new Google toolbar and tailor it to individual preferences.

Customization Options

Control over Visibility: Users can now determine which icons and features are displayed.
Reordering of Elements: The arrangement of toolbar items can be adjusted to suit workflow.
Personalized Experience: The toolbar can be configured to prioritize frequently used functions.

These enhancements empower users to optimize their Google experience by creating a toolbar that aligns with their specific needs and usage patterns.

The ability to personalize the toolbar addresses a key limitation of the initial release, providing a more flexible and user-centric interface.

Big G Drop Down Sorter [Chrome] [No Longer Available]

A useful Chrome extension once existed to enhance the functionality of the Google toolbar. It provided users with the capability to sort, add, and remove items from the new Google bar.

Furthermore, this extension could automatically display the toolbar if it wasn't already visible to the user.

The initial appearance of the Google bar menu, prior to any modifications, wasn't particularly user-friendly. Installing Big G Drop Down Sorter and navigating to any *.google.com domain would then reveal its benefits.

Items within the menu could be easily repositioned through a simple drag-and-drop interface.

It was also possible to move items into the More section, or conversely, to drag items from the More section into the primary, visible section.

The extension extended its utility to items found within the less accessible "Even more" menu.

Users could add these items to the toolbar with ease. Clicking on “Even more” revealed additional buttons associated with each item on the list.

From this location, items could be readily added to the dropdown menu.

Conversely, if a user wished to remove an item from the toolbar, this could also be accomplished from the same interface.

Big G Drop Down Sorter was remarkably straightforward to operate. It functioned effectively across various Google services, including Google Search, Google Reader, Gmail, and Google+.

Its primary limitation was its restriction to *.google.com domains; it wouldn't function on country-specific domains like google.co.uk. However, despite this constraint, it offered a valuable solution to what appeared to be an oversight on Google’s part.

Google Bar+ [Firefox & Chrome]

Google Bar+ is a user script designed for compatibility with both Firefox and Chrome browsers. Prior to installation, it requires either Greasemonkey (for Firefox) or Tampermonkey (for Chrome) to be installed first. Following this prerequisite, navigate to the script's official webpage and select the “Install” option.

Initially, should the new Google toolbar not be present, this script will activate it. While it may not offer the same seamless experience as Google’s native implementation, Google Bar+ provides extensive customization options for the Google bar. This includes the capability to integrate completely new elements, independent of Google’s services.

To adjust the position of an item, a simple right-click on the desired element will open its editing interface.

Within this interface, a different pre-defined button can be selected from the dropdown menu, effectively altering the function of the current button. It’s important to note that this process doesn’t swap buttons; it duplicates the selected function. Consequently, the second instance of the button must also be modified through its own right-click menu.

From this same window, you also have the power to rename an item or even construct a brand new item, complete with a custom icon.

The icon functionality wasn't consistently reliable during testing, however, adding custom menu items proved to be straightforward.

The script also features a mode called Thinbar. If the standard toolbar appears too large, access the Profile menu and choose “Enable Thin Menu”.

This action will reduce the toolbar’s overall size, resulting in a more streamlined appearance.

As illustrated, the MakeUseOf icon didn't render perfectly in this instance, but this may be resolved with further adjustments. Google Bar+ also incorporates a built-in Google ad blocker, which can be activated via the Profile menu.

In conclusion, Google Bar+ is a valuable script, particularly for users who desire custom buttons within the toolbar or those utilizing Firefox. (Until a comparable add-on becomes available for Firefox).

Are you aware of additional methods for customizing the new Google toolbar? Furthermore, what are your overall impressions of this new toolbar? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.