This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

How do I remove "Unified Toolbar" in Thunderbird 115

  • 7 replies
  • 13 have this problem
  • 4 views
  • Last reply by cay2

more options

Thunderbird 115 has a "Unified Toolbar" (https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/getting-started-thunderbird-main-window-supernova#w_2-unified-toolbar) above the tab bar (and above the menu if you show it). I don't want it. How do I remove it? I tried Customize to remove everything from it, but it still contains a "Spaces menu" that I don't want and can't remove in Customize, and a hamburger menu that I don't want because I am ok with the regular old menu, but that I also can't remove in Customize.

Thunderbird 115 has a "Unified Toolbar" (https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/getting-started-thunderbird-main-window-supernova#w_2-unified-toolbar) above the tab bar (and above the menu if you show it). I don't want it. How do I remove it? I tried Customize to remove everything from it, but it still contains a "Spaces menu" that I don't want and can't remove in Customize, and a hamburger menu that I don't want because I am ok with the regular old menu, but that I also can't remove in Customize.

All Replies (7)

more options

Yes, it's new. I found it 'useless' myself, until I started populating it with functions I regularly use. Now , I can't imagine not having it. My suggestion is to try using it. Although I'm not a decision maker, I doubt this is going away. This places many functions on one row, freeing up more screen space. Please try it. Thank you.

more options

I see what you say, so I went to Customize to see what buttons I would want to drag in there for the mail view. But none came to mind. I know how to do every action with the main menu or a context menu, and would not find a button useful.

I realize that the toolbar is useful for people who don't have a title bar in their window manager, and who need a home for the window management buttons. But I use an old-fashioned window manager and don't need those inside the app.

Ideally, it should be possible to remove the Spaces menu and the hamburger menu in the Customize workflow, and then have the empty toolbar go away.

more options

cay2 said

Ideally, it should be possible to remove the Spaces menu and the hamburger menu in the Customize workflow, and then have the empty toolbar go away.

What you currently see in 115 is a first cut at an overall improvement. It will continue to evolve and improve, and in fact have more capability to both toolbars. However currently it is not possible to remove the Unified Toolbar.

I (like you) for several years had the mail toolbar (not menu bar) disabled. But, I have been using supernova since the beginning of the year, and I seem to have acclimated to having the toolbar. But I am mostly using Mac, where the menu bar appears by default, and so the unified/mail toolbar has been less obtrusive. So I am currently undecided as to how worthwhile it will be to have an ability to remove the Unified Toolbar.

Thanks for your feedback.

Modified by Wayne Mery

more options

> My suggestion is to try using it. Although I'm not a decision maker, I doubt this is going away.

Well, this is open source, not Microsoft... Adding new feature is always ok, but a user shall always have the possibility to disable these features.

If I use thunderbird, it's only because it has a great support for all mail providers, even my own self hosted... So please, don't forget users that don't like "fancy" and only want minimalist functional...

Personally, I'm very happy with classic menus, and I've never understood this "hamburger menu" hype that adds one click to any action... I understand that since it's a work in progress, it's not possible to remove it... but if there is no plan to allow disabling it in the future , I would be very disappointed...

Modified by hl037.prog

more options

hl037.prog said

> My suggestion is to try using it. Although I'm not a decision maker, I doubt this is going away. Well, this is open source, not Microsoft... Adding new feature is always ok, but a user shall always have the possibility to disable these features. If I use thunderbird, it's only because it has a great support for all mail providers, even my own self hosted... So please, don't forget users that don't like "fancy" and only want minimalist functional... Personally, I'm very happy with classic menus, and I've never understood this "hamburger menu" hype that adds one click to any action... I understand that since it's a work in progress, it's not possible to remove it... but if there is no plan to allow disabling it in the future , I would be very disappointed...

Yes, this is not Microsoft. Yes, in many areas Thunderbird is highly customizable. And there may (or may not) be a capability coming to disable the items you mention. But I think you misunderstand the fundamental concepts of open source if your interpretation is "a user shall always have the possibility to disable these features ... in the user interface, as provided to you in the base source code."

Open Source allows for you to have the source code so you can change the code (or ask someone else to code it for you), so that you can make the product do what you want. But it is not to be interpreted as "the suppliers of the code base provide UI to allow you every possible adjustment to the product behavior or UI."

Modified by Wayne Mery

more options

That new Unified ' toolbar gets used in all sorts of areas in 115 - such as Calendar etc - not just the Folder PAne / Message List area. This is no longer the same as the old 'Mail Toolbar'.

It's rather useful if you want to get rid of a load of other toolbars such as the 'Folder Pane Header' and the 'Message List Header' because you can put any necessary icons onto the Unified toolbar.

But you can hide it if you really want to. You have to use 'userChrome.css' and this is done at your own risk.

Use the info at this link as it is the exact same process -

but when it comes to the code you need to use the following:


#unified-toolbar{ display: none !important; }

If the above does not work then use:


#unifiedToolbar {visibility: collapse;}

Modified by Toad-Hall

more options

That almost works, thanks! Actually, it should be `unified-toolbar` without a `#` since it's an element, not an id. The following chrome/userChrome.css works with Thunderbird 115.2.2:

   unified-toolbar {
     display: none !important;
   }

Modified by cay2