Google Chrome has undergone significant visual overhauls over the years. Each time, the browser either softened it up or got rid of the cumbersome UI elements to put more emphasis on actual web content. But oddly enough, there is only one UI component in Chrome that is out of date. And this is the download rack, also known as the download bar.
Don’t get me wrong – the download shelf in Chrome has its uses. It allows you to monitor the progress of large downloads fairly easily, while also providing you with tools to conveniently open them after downloading.
But sometimes, you don’t want to just start a download and see it all the time, do you? Also, the download shelf itself takes up a significant amount of screen real estate, and hitting the ‘X’ icon that minute to get it out of the way would be tiresome.
If that sounds familiar, disabling the download shelf should go a long way in making Chrome a little less frustrating when you download a file. But Chrome doesn’t have any built-in tools to turn it off. So how will you do this? Solution — extensions.
Recovery Extensions
Chrome doesn’t provide any switches or toggles to disable the download shelf, so you have to use extensions to get the job done. After spending some time in the Chrome Web Store, I found three extensions that can help you easily get off the download shelf.
Disclaimer: Future Chrome updates or lack of developer support may cause certain extensions to stop working overtime.
Disable Download Bar
Turning off the download shelf in Chrome has never been easier with the Disable Download Bar extension. Go to the Chrome Web Store, install Disable Download Bar and you’re done. The download rack will never raise its ugly head as long as you keep the extension installed.
You can also hide the Disable Download Bar extension icon as it really serves no purpose and makes the Chrome UI 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 want.
Auto Hide Downloads Bar
AutoHideDownloadsBar is another extension that completely disables the download shelf as soon as it finishes uploading. However, it does include a few additional options you can use to customize how the extension works. And it’s worth checking out.
Start by right-clicking on the extension icon and selecting Options. In the Settings popup that opens, you can start changing the various options listed in it. They’re pretty self-explanatory, so take some time to play with them.
For example, you can have the download shelf appear briefly during a download period and then have it automatically close. Or you can change how it works when you click on the extension icon – it can bring up the Downloads folder on your computer, the Chrome download manager, or a popup listing all your downloads. There is also an option to notify you when the download status of the file changes.
Close Download Bar
Close Download Bar works a little differently. It does not disable the download shelf in Chrome. Instead, it provides a shortcut you can use to hide the download shelf at any time.
After installing, press the keyboard shortcut Alt+W to instantly get rid of the download shelf. It works wonders as you don’t have to manually move the cursor to the little ‘X’ icon on the download shelf every time you want to close the download shelf. If you don’t hate the download shelf and want to continue using it, this extension will make it less intrusive.
You can also change the shortcut to include other keys of your choice. Start by clicking the extension icon – click Change in the floating window that appears. Then you can add any key combination you can use to close the download bar.
Disable Download Rack in Incognito Mode
If you want to use any of the extensions listed above in Chrome’s Incognito mode, you need to do a little configuration in the extension settings. Otherwise, you won’t be able to disable or hide the download shelf while browsing privately.
Start by right-clicking the extension icon in a normal Chrome window – select Manage extensions in the context menu that appears. Scroll down the list of options and then turn off the switch next to Allow in Incognito Mode. This should make the extension functional in Incognito mode.
Get Rid of the Inconvenience
Now that you’ve disabled the download shelf, you won’t be bothering it every time you download a file. Note that you can always access the built-in Chrome download manager to manage your downloads – open the Chrome menu and then click Downloads. I bet you already know that.
But a faster way to get there is to use the keyboard shortcut instead — press the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+J to instantly bring up the Chrome download manager in a new tab. Or if you chose AutoHideDownloadsBar, you can also link the extension icon to the Chrome download manager.
Next: Chrome blocks certain downloads by default. Here’s how to unblock downloads in Google Chrome.
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