Fix my Google shortcuts!

January 21, 2011 6:07 AM

Is there a way to force-set the hyperlink options that appear across the top left on Google services?

You know when you're logged in to Gmail or Google Calendar or whatever, and at the top of the page, starting on the left-hand side, are hyperlinks to other Google services? I use that feature constantly, and this week it changed to include two links I never use and it buried a link I DO use underneath the "More" drop down. I don't know how it happened and it seems like such a silly thing to get annoyed about, but I'm really annoyed by it. I've looked in Settings for both Gmail and my Google account, but I don't see a way to fix this. Help?

posted by peanut_mcgillicuty to Computers & Internet (10 answers total)

I noticed that, too, and yeah it's irritating. I haven't found a way to modify those links at the top, but there's a thread on this in the Gmail support forum. Maybe folks there will find a way to fix it or get Google's attention and have it changed back.
posted by cog_nate at 6:38 AM on January 21, 2011

I don't *think* there's a way — I use Google's personalised homepage service, iGoogle. That doesn't seem to permit it, and that would be the most obvious place for such a function. But I've been known to be wrong on occasion :)
posted by londonmark at 6:42 AM on January 21, 2011

There is a greasemonkey script that will let you do this, but I'm having trouble finding it at the moment. If you dig around a little with some google searches or on userscripts.org, you may be able to dig it up.

If not, drop me a memail - I'm pretty sure I have it installed at work, so I can find the name for you later today.
posted by chrisamiller at 7:14 AM on January 21, 2011

Sorry, I don't have a solution either, but I noticed this as well yesterday. Driving me crazy. PLEASE update with whatever works for you! I'll be following the thread meanwhile.
posted by mittenedsex at 7:40 AM on January 21, 2011

Best answer: Happened to me (Google Apps user) some months ago, and it is indeed quite annoying. If you are talking about Reader, there is apparently an extension for Chrome. I'll also be following this question for a Firefox-based solution.
posted by Rock Steady at 8:49 AM on January 21, 2011

Response by poster: Thanks for all the suggestions -- chrisamiller, the greasemonkey script will work for me at home, but at work I'm stuck with IE.

I also hope that everyone who agrees will folow cog_nate's link to the support thread and ask for Google to either restore the Reader link or allow that line to be customizable in Labs. I'll wait a bit more before marking best answers, in case anyone's able to come up with something truly amazing.
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 9:37 AM on January 21, 2011

Best answer: Can't find the original source, but here is the greasemonkey script. IIRC, you edit the links at the bottom of the script to whichever ones you want http://pastebin.com/0pue9yNA
posted by chrisamiller at 10:12 AM on January 21, 2011

Response by poster: Looks like the link is back!
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 4:27 PM on January 24, 2011

It's back. Three cheers for complaining!
posted by cog_nate at 6:13 AM on January 25, 2011

Hmm. Still not there for me, but I guess Google Apps does things in its own time.
posted by Rock Steady at 3:32 PM on January 25, 2011