[Feature Request] Option to relocate Chat shortcut

[WaddellEngineering]

Hiding the chat button is nice by hiding the left app bar, but it's a bit annoying to have to toggle it on and off. Not sure if there would be an option to have the chat shortcut be in the main menu to the right of the compose button, so all you have to do is hover over the main menu and click the chat button from there?

Keep the left app bar toggle just adding an option to have another quicker way to get to your chats.

[leggett]

It has been a while since I have done much to support Chat. But I imagine more people are starting to use it as it becomes a reasonable replacement for Slack.

The compose button isn't always in the nav (it is a floating action button in the bottom right by default). I also show the "Add reminder" button next to the compose button. So that isn't a great place to put it.

In the first version of Simplify (when Hangouts was still a thing), I had an option to show chat as a hovering fab in the bottom left corner. You can still see it in this old screenshot: https://simpl.fyi/screens/06-inbox-nav.png

I could have that be the actual chat button (hover over it and see the chat menu instantly) or a navigation button (click on it to go to Chat → Home).

[erikgeurts]

My personal preference would be to be able to get rid of every visual trace and every UX element related to chat. I don't want to use chat, and definitely not inside my mail environment.

[leggett]

@erikgeurts You can disable Chat in Gmail Quick Settings:

[WaddellEngineering]

I think my preferred would be having this as an option, ideally with a setting to show the icon without or with a unread chat dot or number:

actual chat button (hover over it and see the chat menu instantly

[erikgeurts]

@erikgeurts You can disable Chat in Gmail Quick Settings:

I know, and I have. I just want to be assured that it won't suddenly resurface anywhere due to something in Simplify.

[leggett]

@erikgeurts Absolutely not -- I don't want to see Chat all over the place either. This would only happen if (a) you have Chat enabled and likely (b) if you enabled a Simplify pref (I expect most people that have Chat enabled don't use it much if at all).

But for those that do use it, I am open to making the experience better.