Another option is to install a Greasemonkey script that disables the animation. The script requires Greasemonkey if you use Firefox and GreaseKit for Safari.
You can also add the script in Opera if you follow this guide. Chrome users can install the script if they switch to the dev channel.
If you still use Internet Explorer, install IE7Pro, save the script, rename it to nogooglefade.ieuser.js and copy the script to C:\Program Files\IEPro\userscripts. Enable the script in IE7Pro's settings.
Update: Google Chrome users should install this extension to disable Google's animation.
The fade is useless and annoying. There should be an option to disable it.
ReplyDeleteI really don't understand how it can be annoying. For me, it's really not interfering with my primary purpose of going to google.com, i.e. search.
ReplyDeleteHow can it possibly be soo annoying that anyone would go through that much effort to disable it?
ReplyDeleteIt serves no purpose, and it reduces usablitiy, making it slower to get to for example gmail, image search etc. Having google as a homepage meant two quick clicks to get there. Now it's one click, annoying waiting, and then the 2nd click.
ReplyDeleteKeep it simple, stupid. The fade-in is not simple. But it is stupid.
I think it's the most idiotic and unnecessary "feature," and really wish there was a way to disable it without needing to add plugins to FF
ReplyDeletePeople who bother with scripting still use the vanilla google page? iGoogle loads just as quickly, and since all the components load separately from the search box, there's no downside to using it.
ReplyDeleteigoogle does not load as quickly and that is the whole point of using the vanilla page it was fast easy and worked on computers where the fade takes >40 seconds due to bad graphics hardware.
ReplyDeleteIts plenty annoying to warrant a rant and needs an option to remove, just like the 'feature' that tries to guess what you mean to type.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with this one is that with a less than perfect connection the fade makes options unavailable, and is visually distracting.
Please make the 'feature' removable.
Does anyone who reads this blog actually use IE7?!
ReplyDeleteI didn't think geeks (those reading this blog) still used google.com. An easier way is use the Google's Firefox homepage: http://www.google.com/firefox?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official Just as fast, just looks slightly different.
The Firefox homepage doesn't have a GMAIL link unless you are already signed in. FADE slows me down if I want to get to GMAIL..which is all the time. Just give me an option to turn it off under OPTIONS please. PLEASE!!!
ReplyDeletehere's the best and EASIEST way to get rid of it (for Firefox users):
ReplyDeleteinstall the Stylish extension:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108
and then install this style script:
http://userstyles.org/styles/23032
goodbye forever Google Fade, i wish we could say it's been nice :P
The fade in is annoying. If I want to quickly open a google page and then click 'images' to search for images, I actually have to wait for the images link to fade in.
ReplyDeleteYes, that one/two second does make a difference for me.
Actually, I hate 'fade in' effects in all GUIs. It's one of the first things I'd disable if I used windows 7, and it's the reason I don't use compiz.
Very annoying, indeed!
ReplyDeleteBasic rule of thumb... Don't change something that was working just fine. I always welcome practical improvements but this fade-in thing just does not qualify. Bing seems like a practical alternative which I have been using more and more. Maybe it's time for a change.
ReplyDeletehttp://google.com/firefox
ReplyDeletedoes the trick, use it , get over it!
Who the hell still uses the frontpage? Every browser out there now has the ability to search from a search bar or the address bar.
ReplyDeleteEvery browser out there also allows you to easily setup a custom search engine too.
So i ask again, why are you wasting your own time? (to the complainers)
Even better, why are you going to a website JUST to get to another part?
Here is a nice idea, learn how to use Bookmarks, they are these genius little things that let you access websites without typing a single thing or accessing it from anywhere else! It really is amazing.
It is trivial to add a E-mail, Apps, Services or whatever folder to bookmarks and add whatever things you frequent.
Sorry to be harsh, but this is really quite stupid to be honest.
BING sucks
ReplyDeleteget to the clean Yahoo Search page - not bad
http://search.yahoo.com/
i publish how google fade-in remove -disable turkish my blog
ReplyDeletegood information very thanks google http://www.englishturkish.us/2009/12/mozilla-firefoxda-google-fade-in.html
It's not a big deal.
ReplyDeleteIt takes _LESS THAN ONE SECOND_ to fade in, and you can even still click links even when the opacity is at 0. If it takes longer than a second, you shouldn't even be using the internet tbh.
It doesn't affect how you search, and it's a lot quicker than using other searches, eg. Bing, Yahoo, etc.
The the time it takes to fade in varies. Get rid of it Google, its stupid and annoying.
ReplyDeleteIt always subliminally draws your attention. Terrible! It was such a nice and quiet little page and now this. Google please let us switch it off!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know Forrest Gump worked for web design at Google.
ReplyDeleteI don't like it. I don't like any fading menus. For me the emphasis needs to be on rendering menus as fast as possible. Seems to me Google are just doing it to have a giggle at Microsoft Bling err Bing.
ReplyDeleteThe fade sucks big time. I`ve always thought of google as the masters of search. Its my start page for gods sake. Not after today..... I`m going elsewhere. I might try cuil.com or maybe yahoo.com but not bing.com (hate microsoft) :-)
ReplyDeletethanks for that info - this new feature is really horrible
ReplyDeletei'm using the google news and maps a lot and i have to wait till it's displayed
for me google should let the user chose with this
Apparently you can't turn the fade garbage off, so off to bing.. besides google and rupert will make you pay for it soon anyway..
ReplyDeleteWhat a gimick! It serves no prupose.
ReplyDeletewhy add in the slow down 'fading in' feature? I think if Google fades in its logo and not the links such as gmail, nobody will complain.
ReplyDeleteplease add the possibility to disable it from search settings. I hate having to install another add-on.
ReplyDeletethis is just another boring and useless effect.
I really hate that thing, I'll think about changing to bing in the next days if google doesn't disable that stupid thing.
ReplyDeleteI don't like google fade-in. Some times it fades just half way and it is not pretty. And if it is not pretty it is not serving it's purpose.
ReplyDeletePlus, sometimes i think it is slowing the autocomplete feature...
I really cannot stand this Google fade-in thing. It's really annoying, and I wish they would provide an option to disable it. In fact I found this page by looking for a way to disable it!
ReplyDeleteIt's completely pointless, and slows me down.
Will definitely consider using Bing or Yahoo more if they don't get it sorted out.
I thought google would be the last site I'd ever have to install a 3rd party script to get rid of something useless and annoying. When I'm doing 3 things at once and under time constraints, a half second delay is incredibly annoying. I guess when you're playing foosball all day this seems like a neat trick.
ReplyDeleteI agree, the fade effect annoys me to no end. There's no practical use for it; it's juat an unneeded showy effect. I'm guessing Google is using it to give people an impression of how minimalistic their search engine is by just showing the logo and a search box, which is pretty ironic since adding on effects makes it no longer the simple clean webpage it once was. I hope they remove it soon, or at least add an option to disable it...
ReplyDeleteOdd, people just love to moan don't they? Change you homepage to http://google.com/firefox and solve your problem. There are plenty of custom other google landing pages. Making your own would be easy enough.
ReplyDeleteAs for tomwrong's comment, above, why should I need to change my homepage just to accommodate this annoying fade-in idea from Google. They should allow it to be disabled somehow, not force it on users.
ReplyDeleteI like Google's tools, etc, and use it for all kinds of things, but this has to be the worst Google idea ever; I'm mind-boggled that someone thought this was actually a good idea.
Clearing my cookies (which was sometimes a hassle) used to disable this annoyance, but today that trick isn't working. Please just cut this crap off of the front page. I liked Google because they kept it simple and functional - unlike other ridiculous sites. It might be a small thing to get worked up over, but I like being able to get to Gmail fast, not wait for the stupid link to appear. It might be less than a second but I shouldn't have to wait at all. It's pointless. It serves no useful purpose. And it doesn't look good.
ReplyDeleteThis "feature" sucks.
ReplyDeleteGoogle, don't try and become Microsoft, just let them self destruct and keep doing what you do well...
It's really annoying ! When i want to check my gmail it takes longer and is annoying. It also gives me a headache.
ReplyDeleteI switched my homepage to yahoo because i really couldn't stand it anymore !
I often remote to other computers with Remote Desktop or VNC. That annoying fade-in "feature" DOES take over 1 second to complete. Actually, any fading effect would be VERY annoying over a remote session. Google, please consider my use case (remote sessions) and give me an option to disable this "fading feature".
ReplyDeleteVisual affects are annoying. Animated affects even more so.
ReplyDeleteIs it silly to moan about something as trivial as this? Yes. But I'm still going to do it. I've seen it too many times now for it to be interesting or cool any longer and it's really starting to grate on my nerves.
This animation changes the feeling of instant speed of google homepage into "regular slow (bloated) page"... it IS aestethic problem.
ReplyDeleteIt discriminates older browsers.
Btw. it puts my CPU to 100%, so how is this ecological?
hey geniuses - stop telling me it's not a big deal. It is stupid, unnecessary, and annoying - and worse, it's the type of arrogant "because we feel like it" kind of "feature" that Micro$oft is famous for.
ReplyDeleteI for one am at a Govvie site where I must use IE and cannot customize many settings, so again: stop telling me I can use Opera like you other geeks.
I thought Google was a different type of company - turns out they're not immune to swollen head syndrome. Micro$oft come again :(
Dan K
This is the epitome of "If it ain't broke don't fix it..."
ReplyDeleteThis is so utterly annoying that I am looking for a new homepage.
Whoever had this bright idea should be sent to work in the mail room. Whoever authorized it for use on the site should be fired.
My 2cents.
No way.
ReplyDeletePls stand KISS
I've had google has my home page for about 9 years, but I changed it yesterday. The fade slows me down from getting to image search, mail, or news. Now I have my home page set as blank and use the search bar.
ReplyDeleteThe google fade in feature is horrible. First off the text of the links are Italic looking and not sharp as it once was. Cheesy looking fonts. What's the purpose of having fading effects? it serves no purpose at all. Totally useless. Why did google have to change something that wasn't broken? I now use www.startpage.com as my search engine. They don't record your IP address ever.
ReplyDeleteHorrible. The fade in is useless. Everyone knows how to use the search engine, it's trivial. We don't need stupid effects.
ReplyDeletecomplain about this fade to the person at google
ReplyDeletejon@jonwiley.com
or twitter
@jonwiley
very annoying fade effect.
ReplyDeletegoogle, wtf are you doing? put at least an option to disable it!
Being from Australia, the radio buttons on google.com.au to select "Pages from Australia" also fade in. So bloody annoying!
ReplyDeleteGoogle Fade-In animation will eventually make me switch to Bling. This isn't a threat, this is a fact and a feedback.
ReplyDeleteSame thing about Chrome : I tried it, it was fast, but the various animations made me switch back to Safari.
It's very annoying to me since I'm used to navigating to GMail and other Google services through that bar. When I navigate to Google.com and don't see the links I'm expecting to see, it triggers a frustrated and annoyed emotional response.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes it even more annoying to me is that it's so completely unnecessary. This feature doesn't fix anything that was broken nor does it improve anything that needed to be improved. It only makes things worse. I could learn to like it if there was any logic behind it at all.
It would have been so easy for Google to make this an optional feature for power users like myself.
it was almost as if they looked at google's main page and said "This portion of our company is still working as intended, there has to be SOMETHING we can do to break it, AHA! FADE!"
ReplyDeleteTo the anonymous cunt who said to utilise bookmarks or the search toolbar - get fucked. Obviously we're not concerned with just searching, or we wouldn't use those links anyway. Your attitude is appalling. It takes me 0.5 seconds longer now to click on "News" or "Gmail" and it serves no purpose. Should be able to opt out of it. I can use a quicksearch to allow searching, and so I never go to google if all I need to do is search for something (if I want to search for hats I type "g hats" into the URL bar).
ReplyDeleteREAD MY LIPS
ReplyDelete*DISTRACTION*
That's all you need to know why there should not be some fancy fades or moving stuff. You're thinking of searching something and then BAM there's some fancy sh*t going around that grabs your attention. It doesn't help searching at all. And most often I use the links in the top of the page to search only say Groups etc so it doesn't help to hide them.
This make a pretty good no-fade-in google home page:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.google.com/search?q=%12
Also the text is much more crisp.
My boss with very annoying and awful temper hates this feature. He wants me to remove this fading feature of google. Seems to be a very big issue to him. WTF...
ReplyDeleteget rid of it now !!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeletecomplain to jon@jonwiley.com or twitter @jonwiley.com
ReplyDelete@marissamayer.com
The easiest and fastest way to turn off google fade in is using other search engine like the ecosia and save the world.
ReplyDeleteWhy? I used Google because of it's simplicity. The fade is annoying and slows down my usability. Who ever thought this one up should be faded...from Google.
ReplyDeleteThe fade effect is very distracts me and is annoying. There should an option for disabling it.
ReplyDeleteWe need an option to disable this script without modifying the underlying computer. Google is all about what is within the browser and not the machine it is running on. I have to wait a extra second, or two on top of my connection speed before I can log into my iGoogle. Not everyone going to Google.com has this kind of administrative access to their machine that the post talks about. Google now takes just as long to load as every other search engine.
ReplyDeleteI'm temporarily using this address http://www.google.com/search?q=%12 as homepage.
ReplyDeleteI really dislike the fade.
It is useless, inefficient (more stuff to download), and annoying.
ReplyDeleteAnd for those who don't see anything annoying about it, try it out on a slow PC or a PC with not-so-good graphic cards. It DOES slow things down.
It is also stupid that you need to install something in order to disable it! It should be the other way around! And who wants to turn of JS?
Why isn't there a simple option in Options to turn it off?
Add one more vote for "I hate this feature"...
ReplyDeleteAndfor those of you that are calling people that don't like the fade "complainers" let me just say that I'm a professional UI designer and I've been using my computer since I was 4 years old. I'm not afraid of technology, and I'm not afraid of change... this feature just SUCKS.
Please (please please please) turn it off. Or at least let *me* turn it off. Until then, I'll use Yahoo! or Bing.
Whoever thought this was good for google should be sacked. The entire internet is full of negative PR about google due to this amateurish fade on the homepage
ReplyDeleteI am now going to use bing
ReplyDeleteThe links to images and web which i use regularly are so faint i cannot hardly seem them at my age. I have been forced to leave google and try bing. Google suck
ReplyDeleteits retarded. why would anyone want a page that fades in? are monkeys working at google?
ReplyDeletegoogle fade is totally pointless and very annoying !
ReplyDeleteI think i will use another search engine
google fade sucks
ReplyDeleteget rid of it !!!!!!!!!!
I agree, this thing ir useless and annoying; now I hate google.
ReplyDeleteGoogle - THIS IS ANNOYING!?!? If you want to satisfy the minimalist.. give them the option to customize the page and hide the links.. Now I have to install a FireFox plug-in just to disable the fade-in effect or start using Bing.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.metasearch.com/ doesn't fade - stupid google. really are showing there 'true' colours these days.. following microsoft.. hahaha they really are scrapeing the barrel.. they might still have the search advantage and free email, but they're fading from customer favour rather quickly now.
ReplyDeletetry this, works pretty good for me:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=++&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
I am switching to another search engine, I don't like it.
ReplyDeleteGet rid of it! Only provide it as an opt-in option not opt-out with script handlers.
ReplyDeleteSomeone tell google to revert back to how it was !!
ReplyDeleteIf you use Opera as your browser it is very easy to disable the lame fade-in effect. Opera allows custom settings for individual websites so you can turn the javascript off for Google only.
ReplyDeleteMake sure you are on the google homepage
Just hit F12 for 'quick preferences' then
'Edit Site Preferences' then
'Scripting' then
unclick the 'Enable Javascript'
Thats all, no more stupid fade in!!
At first I didn't mind, so much. But now the fade in delay is driving me crazy. I am used to opening a new window and immediately clicking on the news, maps, etc. button since google is (or was) my homepage. The wait is extremely irritating and stupid.
ReplyDeletekeep USER ACTION -> INTERFACE REACTION . I think mouse move in google search engine is not view as an user action...
ReplyDeleteA minimal search page is not a bad idea but animation (fade) on mouse move surprise peoples...
Why just don't remove it? Most irritating thing next to MS Word. Two seconds fading is two seconds lost working time.
ReplyDeleteGoogle get rid of it FFS !!
ReplyDeleteGoogle listen to the masses - Get rid of it. It needs to go. Its a special effect on THE one webpage you don't want any, and as such it makes your blood boil every time you click the 'Homepage' icon. Really bad judgement call whoever let this change go live.
ReplyDeleteThe fade in is to blame for everything that's wrong with the world.
ReplyDeleteNo, seriously, how do I switch this off without resorting to a)installing software b)disabling javascript c)changing to Firefox d)start using Bing.
The first few times it was nice, it's getting reallyreally annoying now, like a joke I hear for the 10th time.
@Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteThere's already quite a few (and by the end of the year, more) sites that have fixes to thwart Google's Idiocy. Be it an add-on, turning off Java for the Google page, or a .css file, there's a way around it.
What browser are you using?
Is Google interested in your productivity or its own profits?
ReplyDeleteI'm switching to ecosia.org to help save the rainforest instead of profiting faceless shareholders.
Huh? This is horrible. For one thing, the "Faded" menu, when it does appear, does NOT use ClearType and it looks terrible. What is the purpose of this?
ReplyDeleteI don't want to install IE7 to fix this, SINCE I USE IE8!
Blecch. This is one of the first things that Google has done which are just stupid. I don't WANT to turn off Javascript, and I don't want to regress from IE8 to IE7. And please don't tell me to use something other than IE.
This fade in effect is the most annoying and frustrating thing Google has done so far to its search engine/homepage.
ReplyDeleteI use google.com as my homepage, I access Gmail and other google resources via this page (links at the top of the page). This allows me to get rid of a lot of bookmarks in the browser.
But now every single time I start firefox I have to move the cursor around to make everything come up. It's extremely annoying considering how much I use the Internet. Also, whatever the reason is (slow traffic, high cpu usage, etc.) javascript simply hangs sometimes and I have to wait even longer or reload the page altogether.
Google, please get rid of this useless and annoying feature. It adds nothing useful to the interface and takes away the benefits of having google as the homepage.
Seeing that effect once is more than enough. It's hard to believe something that annoying made its way to the public...
get ride of it! I have to wait for it to fade in to click the top links... Google is supposed to be about speed and being to the point.
ReplyDeleteHere is a shorter link that can be used as a homepage that removes the fade in: http://www.google.com/search?q=+ My problem now is how to change the link for the Google button on the google menu. It still takes me to the regular google homepage.
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to chime in with everyone and say that if they are not going to get rid of this feature, at the very least they should provide a simple way to disable it (especially for logged in users).
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHow about for the Chrome? How do you disable it?
ReplyDeleteTo All Using Mozilla (Firefox, Thunderbird, SeaMonkey, Netscape, etc.): Here's Your Workaround (with your browser closed);
ReplyDeleteOpen Notepad and copy the lines between the *'s
***************************************************************
@namespace url(http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml);
@-moz-document url-prefix('http://google.'), url-prefix('http://www.google.') {
#ghead, #sbl, .fade, #fctr{ opacity: 1 !important; }
}
*************************************************************
Save the file as "userContent.css" (without the quotes) to your Desktop (or wherever)
Navigate to your Profile (xxxxxxxxxxx.slt)
Click the "+" sign in front of it.
There you'll see a folder called "Chrome".
Cut the .css file you saved and paste it into the Chrome folder.
Close out and restart your browser.
I just want to see the stupid links immediately upon loading the page. Are we supposed to be impressed by a "fade in" effect? Wow, a "fade in" effect. Maybe in 1997. Give me a break!
ReplyDeletePlease make an option to disengage this fade!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI added the google search page to my Restricted Sites, and this killed the fade-in effect. Open the google search page, and then:-
ReplyDeleteTools -> Internet Options -> Security (Tab) -> Restricted Sites -> Sites (Button) -> Add
It is a sad day that I have to do this with a google site.
The very fact that a page like this exists, tells you that they should remove it. The whole reason google became a success in the first place is because it was a no screwing around search engine that worked. It was fast and it was simple. This goes against that. I could understand it if they did some kind of entirely new corporate identity makeover, but this is just a stupid fade in like they hired a flash noob to jazz up their page. What the hell were they thinking? Did anyone in the world actually ever complain that the home page needed jazzing up? It's a search engine ffs.
ReplyDeleteI use Google because I like the clean and fast user experience. You have now ruined it.
ReplyDelete-It's distracting
-It does not contribute to the user experience
-It's things like this that are bloating the Internet one page at a time.
of all the solutions they could have come up with to solve this problem [people not liking the links], they came up with this ????
ReplyDeleteit pleases no one.
the links aren't gone. they just take a second or two to appear. so the link haters will not be fully satisfied.
it introduces a delay for everyone who uses these links. these people will no longer be satisfied. their user experience has now been degraded. i use google basic as my homepage and often click into shopping or images. as do a lot of people.
google - this is a BAD solution. you're one of the most innovate web businesses out there, i'm sure you can do better than this.
@Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteThis blog is not affiliated with Google and the script hasn't been developed by Google. The script is just a simple workaround, not a full solution.
Don't you all think that the new "feature" of slow fading links might have something to do with the new ever-present ad for Googles own Chrome browser.
ReplyDeleteThe slow fade in makes you think that your current browser is somehow slow......then you look to your right and see an ad for Faster Chrome. Huh......maybe you'll be more likely to click on that link for Chrome if you now have been tricked to think your current browser is somehow slower.
Pretty obvious to me. I'm more likely to use yahoo now.
One of the main selling points of Google is instant no-frills usability, adding this crap decreases usability and increases annoyance. Why would anyone think this was a good idea?
ReplyDeleteGoogle is flexing its muscle. It is showing us how "Microsoft-onian" it can be.
ReplyDeleteGoogle Insulates itself by not having a place where people can lodge complaints.
If EVERYONE who hates Google's Fade In Stopped Using Google for 1 day, say Jan 15th then they might get the message.
I use my browser's built-in box for searching, but when I want to do an images search, or get to Google Docs, AdWords or Analytics, I always go to the homepage and click "My Account". Until I discovered the Greasemonkey plugin, this was adding an annoying delay to tasks I perform all day long. Sure, I could just bookmark the specific Google areas directly, but I still don't see what helpful effect they thought it would have to make all of the page's navigation temporarily invisible aside from the search button....
ReplyDeleteIf you don't like the fade in feature, just set the Google Advanced Search page as your link to Google. The Google Advanced Search page doesn't have the fade in feature (yet). This is a work around for those of us that don't like the fade in "feature".
ReplyDeleteThis fade in effect sucks big time!
ReplyDeleteIt makes Vista look like a good idea in comparison.
This "feature" is really slowing me down and is counter productive.
ReplyDeleteAs soon as i open the search url and start typing my search term, only half of what i type shows up in the search box and i have to start all over again...
This is very annoying so please give us at least an option to turn this unwanted and hated "feature" OFF.
This f*cking s*cks indeed. Now it even animates an apple dropping. ARGH! Next thing will be banners that make sound when you go to google. They are slowly trying to ease us into that.
ReplyDeleteSet my home page to:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.google.com/firefox/webhp?complete=1&hl=en
This disables all the dumb animations.
I agree that the fade's dumb an annoying. It was pointless. And yes, Anonymous said on December 4, 2009 10:58 AM PDT: "Now it's one click, annoying waiting, and then the 2nd click." Agreed.
ReplyDeleteThe apple dropping is just for Newton's B'day. They obviously won't keep that. 8-)
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said on January 2, 2010 3:21 PM PDT:"As soon as i open the search url and start typing my search term, only half of what i type shows up in the search box and i have to start all over again..."
ReplyDeleteYes, I also second this as well.
Good call, anonymous, but Anonymous and anonymous AND even anonymous you guys are way off the mark. The Google Fade is quite clearly a local security risk. You sign in to your Google account, get an urgent message from your boss, your girlfriend calls, you get distracted by something, anything, if you are human - while very quickly the fact that you have signed in to Google has now faded....time passes....more distractions.....you haven't checked your email yet, so you are still on the main Google page from signing in....you walk away, forgetting you've signed in, you glance at your screen, the top is blank, but you don't think anything of it because it just "isn't that much of a distraction or annoyance to me...". While you are off to the machine or gym or bathroom, someone else casually or otherwise comes by, moves the mouse - sees that you have signed in, perhaps mischief follows? Perhaps worse. Perhaps benevolence. But more likely a locally defined security risk.
ReplyDeleteLol @ Anonymous for his Anonymous joke!
ReplyDeleteBut also, have you heard of Windows Key+L? What does that do?
Perhaps at work it might not well, work (!), so closing browser should usually sign you out, if you have that option enabled.
But the fade is dumb... Lol.
The fade animation is annoying and very junior-high-schoolish. Why would anyone want to wait for their links to become visible?
ReplyDeleteYahoo homepage is cluttered and ratty, but I will switch soon if google doesn't provide an option to disable the fade-in.
Google I just want an option to disable it.
ReplyDeletePlease ?
Dang, like 98% say the fade sucks. I'm with you.
ReplyDeleteIt's not just a fade.. It's a "mouse move activates it" type of thing.
Open Firefox (google is my home page). Menu's don't load until i move the mouse. Click 'home icon' same thing.
Set home page to http://www.google.com/firefox/webhp?complete=1&hl=en
problem solved.
The Fade in needs to go, we have some computers here with bad or no GPUs at all, it takes like 20 seconds for some of them to load. Google was simple, now it's all javascript. Make it an option! Come on Google!
ReplyDeleteI was just scanning through the posts. It is interesting that no-one defends the fade as a useful feature. The best anyone has to say is that either doesn't annoy them or that they don't use the PJ Google homepage anyway. From this it is apparent that the fade isn't an addition, since it has added nothing.
ReplyDeleteTime often makes the heart grow fonder, but not in this case. It still annoys me.
I agree I hate the fade and it needs and option to disable it. I regularly click the news link at the top and it's annoying having to wait for it to become visible before I can click it.
ReplyDeleteaesthetics or function ( I suspect the latter ) the question is what is the function. I read somewhere that the split second fade delay allows a quick scan of your recent online activity.
ReplyDeleteExtremely ANOYING! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE... DISABLE IT! YES!! I'M CRYING!!!!!
ReplyDeleteTrying to get my 72 yr old mom to open her e mail (over the phone) is enough of a pain. The new "hide and go seek" feature is as useful as screen doors on a sub-marine.
ReplyDeleteA good web page should never move or blink. It should be Just like a page in a paper book. That's why I use to use Google as my home page.
ReplyDeleteIt proved the Internet was Live and it was one of the fastest loading pages around.
Google moves.
Google is slow.
I now have a new home page.
Sorry Google, you broke your main page. www.google.com
Launch browser, see the first tiny flicker of it instantiating on the screen like an Aphex Twin video, Google(your home page) hasn't even had time to resolve the top left pixel of the G and you type your search string and you hit enter and the results are just there. As a search engine Google was invisible to me until the fade-in.
ReplyDeleteNew home page: http://www.google.com/firefox/webhp?complete=1&hl=en
Not forced to ... to ... ah .. not forced to search the web on foot yet.
I hate this feature. It takes more time to find the navigation links at the top because I have to wait for them to appear.
ReplyDeleteTo the folks that think these complaints are a waste of time? Well, you're wrong! If the whole point (based upon the Google blog) was to create a "faster" more "minimalist" approach to their engine, then they have failed miserably. I use both WinXP and Win7 and can't disable this "fade in" junk fast enough! Most comments in this thread clearly find Google's bright idea rather dumb and annoying.
ReplyDeletethe stylish ext. works great, thanx
ReplyDeleteThe fade in IS annoying. The delay IS a problem. Here's an example...
ReplyDeleteI want to click on the News link but it's not visible. I have to move the mouse in the general direction of the News link, STOP, wait for the News link to become visible, and THEN click it.
I can't believe Google and all of their usability resources didn't notice this? HOW CAN THIS BE AN IMPROVEMENT!!!
The people who are defending it are unbelievable in their ability to ignore the obvious: "I only use Google for searching so it doesn't bother me", "Who uses the Google home page anymore? Use the search box in your browser.", "Create bookmarks instead of using the navigation links on the Google home page", etc. WTF!!!!!! Who's passing around the Google Kool-Aid?
I think the people at google have too much time on their hands and have become too cute by half. It's absolutely useless and annoying to have to move the mouse to get the page and other discomforting to have the page load in stages.
ReplyDeleteThis fade in effect is totally unnecessary and obviously stupid?
ReplyDeleteWhy do google implement such time consuming effect that doesn't improve anything except user's frustration?!!!
I HATE IT !
From Apple's human interface guidelines:
ReplyDelete"Animation is a great way to communicate effectively, as long as it doesn't get in the way of users' tasks or slow them down. Subtle and appropriate animation can communicate status, provide useful feedback, and help users visualize the results of their actions. Excessive or gratuitous animation can obstruct the flow of your application, decrease its performance, and annoy users."
AT LEAST do 'fade in' when click on empty space. I really want to see simple & static homepage because I set it as homepage.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the solution! I've now set http://www.google.com/search?q=%12 as the default page of my browsers.
ReplyDeleteThe reason I stumbled upon your site is not the Google fade (which, I admit, annoyed and surprized me greatly in the beginning; it's still annoying on many occasions), but the continuously changing graphics of the google logo on their page.
I do *not* want surprizes when embarking on a search - I do not care for Newton's birthday, barcodes or the Vancouver winter games - I want to do a search. No frills please.
The alternative web searchsites suck big time - all big and flashy, one big distraction. Google is still the best, but has gotten worse over time with the changing logos and 'cute' (who the f**k thought of that?!) fade.....
Still using google for searches, but not happy about all the changes they're continuously making to their home page. For the moment, having set http://www.google.com/search?q=%12 as default page has solved my problems with changing graphics and fades.
I *hate* change and surprizes, often even when it's an improvement, because it disturbs routine. It often takes a long time to get settled into a new routine. And sometimes the routine will never form if you keep changing your website.
Google is still the best search engine that I know of.... but it's rapidly alienating users who love it for the simplicity, without surprizes or frills. Please, keep it that way: a white blank page with search box, and perhaps a button 'search' to click. If you must, add a logo - but DON'T GO CHANGING AROUND THE LOGO EVERY TIME SOME EVENT TURNS UP!
And you do *not* want to change the look and feel of your main tool, where fractions of a second of delay count.
Happy days ** Hello to: Anonymous Feb14,2010
ReplyDeleteThe http://www.google.com/search?q=%12 is the fastest, and cleanest solution so far, even better than the Firefox link.
So for those of us who don't know, what is the string on the end of the url /search?q=%12 ie: what specifically does it do.
Thanks again,
Previously annoyed
If I only wanted to search, I'd use my browser's search bar. Most of my visits to the front page of google.com are to click one of the links, not to use the search box, so making the links invisible was the worst possible thing Google could have done to their front page.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Chrome extension link. But I still hope you'll come to your senses and remove the fade effect for everyone, because I'm sure 99% of the people annoyed by the new feature (who make up perhaps 95% of all Google users) aren't going to find this blog post.
I search a lot and did not like it from the first time I saw it. Even tried to move to different search engine... so useless, slow and annoying. Saying "cmon already" has become a common thing on every homepage opening.
ReplyDeleteTHE FADE...I wish would just f-f-faaade away.
ReplyDeleteFrom a design stand point: Kind of cool; hogs up bandwidth though.
From an esthetic stand point: Interesting, but slow, need it a little quicker.
From a utilitarian stand point: Totaly useless.
from a covert stand point: It's probably a test in analytics to see how long it takes people to migrate to what they like/want such as using this link now for a search page: http://www.google.com/search?q=%12
Thank you
I can't believe the fade is still in place. It's like somebody bringing out a computer the selling point of which is that it runs SLOWER. Nobody is listening are they? Unless "they" have a good laugh at these forums over coffee break. But I see Google now find themselves slipping in the Search engine wars. Hmmm....
ReplyDeleteThe collective amount of human life that the fade-in wastes is staggering. But, I am presently adding even more time so I must move on...
ReplyDeleteRemember when google was no-nonsense, just a search box, it got really popular and everyone loved it. Why on earth is this utterly useless and nnoying gimmick STILL in place with no option to disable it?
ReplyDelete@Help:
ReplyDelete"Remember when google was no-nonsense, just a search box?"
Now Google's homepage is exactly what you said: just a search box. Learn to appreciate simplicity.
Worst possible thing Google could have done to their front page.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if its Opera 10.50 betas fault but if I don't wait for the animation, i usually miss the first word I type. This means this "feature" is not only a waste of resources in the form of extra java code and CPU cycles used for the alpha blending effect, but also making me less efficient.
ReplyDelete@Jon:
ReplyDeleteYou don't even need to see the fade-in animation if you want to type a query. The search box is already focused, so you only have to enter your query and type enter. Google's homepage is now almost empty, so there's no distracting link or boilerplate text: you only see Google's logo, a search box and two buttons.
I would just like to state, for the record, that I despise this stupid useless "feature", There should be some kind of option to easily turn off this annoying fade-in.
ReplyDeleteCould this possibly be google's shark jump?
If the fade effect or the doodles are annoying, wait until IPV6 becomes common place. Then you will see the bouncing Google Logo. Go here to see what I mean.
ReplyDeletehttp://ipv6.google.com.ipv4.sixxs.org/
How about you (who is currently the top hit for "disable google fade in") create a page (on this blog or wherever) that looks just like google's page but without the fade in.
ReplyDeleteAnd maybe with a few google ads (google adsense?) so that you get some $$$ from Google.
This way if enough people are annoyed, Google pay you because they screwed up ;).
wow you all think you no better than google huh. who the hell cares about the fade stuff. you all need to seriously lighten up.
ReplyDeleteI changed my homepage to google images; the page pops up clean with all the links. My problem is solved with no add ons.
ReplyDeleteQuote: "...you all need to seriously lighten up." - Oh really. Google, micro$$oft and yahoo have made tons of "progress" the past five years with making the user interface "prettier" and "fancier" and "more transparent" and annoying and cluttered, less efficient, wasting screen real-estate, breaking user familiarity, moving the familiar placement of UI elements for no reason, but ZERO PROGRESS in making granular easy-to-find options for the user to TURN OFF all of the annoying useless "inventions" and select a clean, CLASSIC non-animated interface if so desired. These companies instead should be spending time fixing the BASICS first. Google image search - still only max 20 results per screen the past 10 years and no improvment. Wow, what "progress". Here's a clue: every time you "invent" some kind of "new" "fancy" UI functionality, then CREATE AN OBVIOUS CONVENIENT WAY TO TURN IT OFF.
ReplyDeletePlease provide an option to turn off the fade!
ReplyDeleteI tried to turn that annoying piece of shit off the moment I noticed it. Didn't think I was alone. Fade-ins are stupid. What the hell is the point? Am I supposed to be thrilled by the suspense of what's going to appear on my screen for the millionth time? It's not a god damn movie intro, just show me the buttons. I couldn't believe google would do that either, it's so very uncharacteristic of them. Animated webpages are annoying. There should be no MOVEMENT on a screen that's designed for functionality. I bet the person who made this decision at google was some higher-up techie with no clue about design.
ReplyDeletesorry but that useless fade-in does get in the way for a super mega power user like myself, it slows me down, and for no reason at all. And so, a firefox plugin is THE solution? and what about the millions of other users who prefer IE? If i have to reinstall systems for ppl all day long, you can be sure that i insist that they get used to the browser that comes already installed on the system. oh yeah, now i'll be told to put FF in the windows iso, uhhh ya think? welllll...NO. no amount of plugins and settings will convince me to replace something that works just fine for me. is this googles way of screwing with microsoft? not to mention me and all the IE users on the planet? Its a conspiracy. We're all victims.
ReplyDelete@Christian:
ReplyDeleteIf you use IE, try IE7Pro, a plug-in that lets you install userscripts. Download the script, change the extension to .ieuser.js, copy the file to c:\program files\iepro\userscript and enable the script in IE7Pro's settings dialog.
By the way, this blog isn't owned by Google and the script wasn't developed by Google.
I love the fade effect. You guys are so easily irritated lol go take a walk outside and breathe some air!
ReplyDeletethe fade is ignorant. People use those links all the time. Why are they making us wait to see them now? It wasnt like that before and now its just annoying. I set google as my home page for the simple fact that it appeared immediately. It doesnt do that now. I shouldnt have to install scripts to disable that. There should be an option on the home page to show/hide those links if they bother you. Im not going to disable scripts I need for other sites just to stop google from being idiotic either. Put it back the way it was. People will love you for it as they did when they first set google to their home page to begin with. Stop annoying your users.
ReplyDeleteI find this feature annoying as well. It doesn't always fade-in in time. Sometimes I have to hover my mouse over the link and wait. It's also **extra annoying** on a touch screen PC..
ReplyDeleteThe very discussion shows how little value this code has and any code is a potential security leak. It is, therefore, bad behavior to add the fade-in code to Google and than need recommend even more code in order to remove it.
ReplyDelete042110
ReplyDeleteFor all you still struggling with this 'fade #$%$^*', I will post this again, try this streamlined version of the homepage. No fade, and the two google 'more' links on the side are actually quite productive when needed.
http://www.google.com/search?q=%12
Give it a try, you will like it, just like the good ole' google.
Enjoy.
Unbelievable, I can change any setting except this irritating useless feature.
ReplyDeleteMore annoying than the google fade-in are the people on here giving us a hard time. The fade is stupid and pointless. Getting to gmail, maps, etc. was much quicker before they added this feature. Yes, it normally only takes a second to load but it's an annoying second for people like me that need to get things done quickly. I don't like it for the same reason I don't hide the taskbar in Windows.
ReplyDeleteI like the iGoogle approach and this one posted by someone else:
"here's the best and EASIEST way to get rid of it (for Firefox users):
install the Stylish extension:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108
and then install this style script:
http://userstyles.org/styles/23032
goodbye forever Google Fade, i wish we could say it's been nice :P"
Thank god some of you out there understand this stuff better than I.
I agree, it is quite annoying, when you are in hurry and need to click on something on the main page and it just takes forever to load.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, for Chrome users: https://chrome.google.com/extensions/search?itemlang=&hl=en&q=fade+in
I have been happily using Bing since the fade was forced upon us. Just checked back to google and it is still in force. How sad....
ReplyDeleteI don't know why I got the feeling that NOBODY read the post before commenting.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind the fade-in so much as the persistent left side bar
ReplyDeleteDISABLE FADE NOW.
ReplyDeleteThis Google fade thing still annoys me to no end using Firefox. Addons and scripts to get rid of it bloat my system and have annoying side effects. I think I read that a group of employees at Google thought it was cool and consistent with their style of keeping things simple. Well it makes me not want to use the friggen page, so I'm thinking their test group was maybe too small. Jeez. It's an unnecessary distraction that I personally am no longer willing to put up with. Thanks for the http://www.google.com/search?q=%12 starting page idea, I'll try that, but I'm not sure my frustration with having to find a way to work around that fade-in will go away. Grrrrrgle
ReplyDeleteBest thing that ever happened to Bing
ReplyDeleteForcing browser plugins to disable a crappy useless feature is NOT ACCEPTABLE.
ReplyDelete...Bing here I come...
ReplyDeleteThis worked for me, on IE8.
ReplyDeleteSet your google engine to:
http://www.google.com/ig
Remove all the customizable fields at the bottom, and you're almost back to the real deal. No fade.
No nonsense.
How is it deemed acceptable that Google playing about forces a lot of users to have to fiddle about and research ways to turn this off. It really does slow you down, you can't start aiming at the link (even though you would want to try) until you can see it so please let us turn it off by giving us a new homepage like google/nofade, how difficult would that be? Even if you ignore the fade, the page takes that extra bit of time before you can start typing (when the cursor appears in the box). This in itself is a niggle. After starting to type and realising your words are not being recognised yet you have to stop, think, and start typing again.
ReplyDeleteI have been using a firefox addon "noscript" for a while. Not allowing google to run scripts puts the home page back as it was.
Without the fade you will be shocked how much faster the page loads. Its unbelievable so please give us a new url if you are not willing to disable the fade, like google/nofade
Now they even fade in a background at no choice.
ReplyDeleteGOOD BYE GOOGLE.
Welcome Yahooo - is as good as google search.
http://search.yahoo.com/
This inredibly stupid BACKGROUND RUBBISH is the limit for me. I used to be a fan of Google but this is it for me.
ReplyDeleteGoogle, if you don't listen to your users you will eventually die.
Is there any way to just plain do the opposite, just not let it fade back in the first place?
ReplyDeleteDear Google, After five years of using you as my homepage, you have now lost me... On my pc, it takes up to 2.5 seconds to see your BS fade 'advantage'. I am tired of it. So tonight I changed to the Firefox homepage.
ReplyDeleteThis fade is retarded. It's a problem on any machine with older hardware. My d600 takes about 20-30 seconds to load this pointless fade. About a 4-5 year old machine.
ReplyDeleteI understand that google wanted to hide the menus unless you move your mouse, but seriously, is it needed? What you had before was fine.
I dislike most of "google" after it became too big for its britches. BLing is useless and almost as bad as ya-hoe [no typos there folks]
ReplyDeleteI must use something so I use gargle Only because it has no ads [yet] Spamming soon to a home screen near your face soon... and afetr I learned that Micro-crapola Lies [ Iactually paid $ for win 95 when it was new..back in lol 96 and have yet to buy any crap from them again..and will not ever until lthe yrespond to my now Very old e-mail about fixing win 95..as this never happened, I will use thier crapola till they do, but for free.. YaHoo for torrents :P but back to topic.. screw thier fade in.. use it or change whos site you do use but make sure you send an e-mail to them and eventually they will care [not] just make sure you make them NO $$$ make sure that you NEVER buy one thing seen in a google ad..ever.. just don't do it.. and they will die like GWBUSH will..old and alone with thier fear... MwaHahahaha and one more thing FUCK you Google and MicroSoft
I hate the fade effect on Google's search page.
ReplyDeleteAlex, could you _please_ add functionality or make another extension that stops custom backgrounds from fading in?. I have a custom background and the fade slows down everything but i do not want to remove it.
ReplyDeleteDear Mr. Google,
ReplyDeleteIt is pointless to have to fade-effect. So far, I have not yet detected the benefits of this 'great' feature, allthough I am an IT-specialist with over 25 years of experience.
In the before-the-effect-days, I opened my browser and saw google's homepage. I immediately could point my mouse to the gmail-link, or to the image search-link.
In the after-days, I still open my browser with google as the homepage. But now, I have to move the mouse first before I can see the links to gmail, maps, or image search. Waste of time and effort that is.
So, what award-winning, smart professor can explain to me where the benefit of all that is? Please don't come up with the distraction-argument. On the contrary, having things that suddenly pop-up on the screen, now that's what I call a time waisting distraction.
Please, Mr. Google, get rid of it. Stay a professional company, do what you think you have to do, and especially, don't let the others influence you. You know whom I'm talking about.
All the best
I also hate the fade effect on Google's search page.
ReplyDeleteSoftware companies keep adding unsolicited crap to their software. The fade-in effect is a form of bloatware.
ReplyDeleteComputers are so much more powerful than they used to be, yet some things are actually slower because software is bloated on purpose. I don't need a faster computer, my computer from 2003 is and should be fine, but if software companies keep adding crap that a) only improves the look of the software, b) makes my computer work harder and c) does not improve usability or makes it worse, then of course I will need a faster processor and more memory. The old computer becomes scrap: more waste going to landfill. Instead of encouraging us to use our perfectly suitable computers, software companies force us to pollute. Makes my blood boil.
So I wipe my ass on Google's fade-in effect. I am using Firefox's Google search which is basically the same.
Here is a message for the dudes that take the street-level pictures for Google Maps. Next time you come round my place, if you zoom in close enough you might be able to see my finger.
It's funny that you say Google's fade-in is bloatware, when the goal was to make the homepage simpler and less cluttered.
ReplyDeleteI am a software developer and all the products we develop are very light on computer resources, and one of the ways to achieve that is to avoid eye candy. However, the software we make is intended for use by electronic engineers, i.e., professional tools.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the eye candy is there to attract the incompetent, non-savvy computer user. Things like OS X's dock and Vista/Win 7 aero effect are just toys: you get a bit of excitement the first time you play with it, but soon you will learn to ignore it. I believe though that incompetent users outnumber experienced users, and therefore large software corporations naturally favor however generates more revenue.
However, incompetent computer users are generally happy with whatever you give them as long as it works. The problem is that Apple started adding eye candy and the Microsoft and Google and everybody else had to jump on the bandwagon...
It is very naive of Google to believe that their user base will grow thanks to its visual effects. The main reason why millions use Google is that it is an effective search engine with a simple interface. Mind you, simplicity is what made it so popular in the first place.
So I do hope that Google go back to their old ways.
no need to make all that fuss around this NON-ISSUE, just set your starting page to http://www.google.com/firefox and LIVE DAMMIT, LIVE !!!
ReplyDeleteThank you BongwaterLovechild and Anonymous for your Firefox and IE solutions! My old pre-fade search page is back! And without having to install any add-ons too! *sighs with relief*
ReplyDeleteLove Google. Hate the fade in. I have always liked the basic Google homepage because it loaded fast and searching the Web is where I usually like to start. Hey Anonymous with, "Who the hell still uses the frontpage?" Not everybody likes things the way you do. So stop dissing people for being different from you. And stop being so condescending and insulting you ignoramous. A little of your own medicine there.
ReplyDeleteSomething's recently changed with Google's home page so that current disable-fade-in scripts also disable search suggestions.
ReplyDelete"So I do hope that Google go back to their old ways. "
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. I have a 1mb per sec connection, and my data transfer rate is always up for one reason or another, as well as cpu sucking applications such as video editing, mp3s playing, etc. The less of a load I can get on my cpu and bandwidth. the better.
For all those interested who are using Firefox is NOSCRIPT for Firefox. You can turn off virtually any element on a web page within seconds, including all the stupid crap your pop-up block WILL miss. Trust me, totally worth it....
Just checked back on Google and the mindless fade is still there.
ReplyDeleteThe lady should stick to putting curtains in the kitchen.
Thanks all for google.com/firefox trick. I will try this out. At work, the fade-in makes google.com painfully slow. We are forced to use IE7, and cannot install our own software. It sucks, but that's the way it is.
ReplyDeleteI hate the fade.
ReplyDeleteI find the Firefox Google start page really really annoying there isn't a gmail link. I've wasted plenty of time looking for it, and its not in any of the more.../even more... links. Argh - don't they want FF users signing up for gmail or something? I want gmail 1st up but have to sign in before I can get a link to it? crazy. Sure this is easy to get around, but specially those early starts or when you've been working way too long or just concentrating on something else its very annoying that sometimes the link is there (google vanilla) but invisible, sometimes its there and visible (FF start page, signed in already) and sometimes its not there at all (FF start page not signed in). The vanilla start page has the stupid fade thing - sure, nice an all, but on the numerous slow computers I use/work on its a slowdown I don't need. Also, to have to install anything on every PC is not an option, practically speaking. I use google vanilla when I can because its fast AND has a gmail link, but FF start page is faster. It would be nice to have some consistency and predictability in the menu. Until I found this forum I didn't even realise why Firefox startpage doesn't have a gmail link, I just found it annoying and thought badly of Firefox as a result.
ReplyDeleteLolz@ whoever suggested switching to Bing, they just really struggle with search, don't they. I've had to use it from the Help system in Office and it often fails to find its own doco, so Google steps in to help every time.
You guys are going to make some cheese store owners very happy, considering the whineries are already giving you frequent customer cards.
ReplyDeleteIf the fade annoys you, use the proper URL then. It doesn't take much more time (even on a touchscreen) to type images. or docs. or what-have-you.