Guide: How to Disable Download Shelf in Chrome Browser
Google Chrome has undergone significant visual overhauls over the years. Each time, the browser has either toned down or removed the unwieldy UI elements to put more emphasis on the actual web content. But strangely, there is only one UI component in Chrome that hasn’t been caught up with time. And that’s the download shelf, also known as the download bar. Don’t get me wrong – the download shelf in Chrome has its uses. This allows you to track the progress of large downloads quite easily, while also giving you the means to access them easily after they have been downloaded. But sometimes you just want to start a download and not have it up in your face all the time, right? Plus, the download shelf itself takes up a significant portion of screen space, and it gets tiresome clicking that minute ‘X’ icon to get it out of the way. If that sounds familiar, disabling the download shelf should make Chrome a little less annoying when you’re downloading a file. But not Chrome feature any built-in means to disable it. So how do you go about it? The solution – extensions.
Expansions for the rescue
Since Chrome doesn’t provide a toggle or toggle to turn off the download shelf, you should instead use extensions to get the job done. After spending some time in the Chrome Web Store, I’ve found three extensions that can help you get off the download shelf quite easily. Disclaimer: Future updates to Chrome or a lack of developer support may cause certain extensions to stop working overtime.
Turn off the download bar
With the Disable Download Bar extension, disabling the download shelf in Chrome couldn’t get any easier. Head over to the Chrome Web Store, install the disable download bar and you’re done. The download shelf will never turn up its ugly head as long as you keep the extension installed. Download Disable the download bar You can also disable and hide the download bar extension icon as it really serves no purpose and ends up make Chrome’s user interface unnecessarily cluttered.
To do this, right-click on the extension and then select Hide. You can always access it from the Chrome menu if you prefer.
AutoHideDownloadsBar
AutoHideDownloadsBar is another extension that completely disables the download shelf once you are done installing. However, it includes a few extra options you can use to customize how the extension works. And they are worth checking out. Download AutoHideDownloadsBar Start by right-clicking the extension icon and selecting Options. In the pop-up it shows then you can continue to tweak the various options listed in it. They are self-explanatory, so spend some time playing with them.
For example, you can show the download shelf up shortly for the duration of a download and then let it close automatically. Or you can change how the extension icon works when you click it – it can bring both up the Downloads folder on your computer, the Chrome download manager, or a pop-upup panel with all your downloads. There is also an option that notifies you when the download status of a file changes.
Close the download bar
Closing the download bar works a bit differently. It does not turn off the download shelf in Chrome. Rather, it provides you with a shortcut that you can use to hide the download shelf whenever you want. Download Close download bar After installing, press the Alt + W shortcut to remove the download shelf in an instant. It works wonders because you don’t have to manually point the cursor at the little ‘X’ icon in the download shelf every time you want to close it. If you don’t hate the download shelf and want to keep using it, then this extension should make it less of a hassle to deal with.
You can also change the shortcut to include other keys of your choice. Start by clicking the extension icon – in the floating window that appears up, click Change. You can then add any key combination that you can then use to close the download bar.
Turn off the download shelf in incognito mode
If you want to use any of the above extensions in Chrome’s incognito mode, you will need to make a small configuration for the extension’s settings. Otherwise, you cannot disable or hide the download shelf while browsing privately.
Start by right-clicking the extension icon in a normal Chrome window – in the context menu that appears up, select Manage Extensions. Scroll through the list of options and turn off the switch next to Allow in incognito. That should make the extension functional in incognito mode.
Get rid of annoyance
Now that you’ve disabled the download shelf, you won’t be bothered with it every time you download a file. Remember, you can still access the built-in Chrome download manager to manage your downloads at any time – please bring up the Chrome menu, then click Downloads. I bet you already know that.
But an even faster way to get there is to use the keyboard shortcut instead – hit the Ctrl + J keyboard shortcut to up the Chrome download manager directly in a new tab. Or, if you chose AutoHideDownloadsBar, you can also bind the extension icon to the Chrome download manager. The next up: Chrome blocks certain downloads by default. Here is how to unblock the downloads in Google Chrome.
How to Disable Download Shelf in Chrome Browser: benefits
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