How to remove user menu from Chrome as avatar menu flag no longer exists. We’ve said Chromium team has removed the Enable Avatar menu flag from Chrome browser, you can notice this in v44 beta. If you’re a single user use the Chrome browser then that profile menu is not necessary, here is how to disable that now in Chrome 44 (which is currently in beta). This — How to remove the ‘You’ User Menu from Chrome? –No longer works.
Disabling User menu in Chrome 44
1. Exit from Chrome browser.
2. Right click on its desktop shortcut and select ‘Properties’
3. In the target field, after Chrome.exe add the below switch after giving space and click ‘Apply’
--disable-new-avatar-menu
Tip: You better pin that shortcut to taskbar to launch it quickly. Hold ‘Ctrl’ button, right click on the shortcut and select ‘Pin to taskbar’.
4. If you launch Chrome from taskbar, ensure this: right click on Chrome icon on taskbar, hover over Chrome, right click on it >Properties and check there is the switch we’ve added in target field.
UPDATE: Whole Target field in the Properties dialog should be as below (could be different if you’re using 64-bit Windows)
"C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" --disable-new-avatar-menu
We’ve tested and it worked, let us know if you’ve any doubts in the comments.
UPDATE 1: I am glad that through this post I’d helped you in removing the avatar menu, that worked for a short period of time, it no longer works now as Google has already removed the relating flags. Check this comment from Google employee.
Awesome job!! I’m already using a few command line switches on my shortcuts and don’t know why I didn’t think of that. Duh! Thank you!!
You’re welcome Richard Allen.
I didn’t think about the command switches, thanks for the reminder! I really thought there was no way to remove that pesky menu. Thanks again.
Hi folks-
This is a temporary work-around. Due to the complexity of the code, we’re removing flags in M44 before fully refactoring the code and removing the command-line flags with M45.
Thanks for the information sir
I’m really no expert but isn’t removing those flags pretty destructive? I really can’t stand this login-nudge; a switch for turning it off doesn’t appear to be too harmful.
Wait. Why are you removing the option to not use the garbage profile switcher? The very existence of this thread (and many others) indicates a swath of people who don’t want that button sitting up there shouting their own name at them. Not to mention that there are a whole lot of people who only use one profile, so having it there at all is utterly useless. What bonehead decided it was a brilliant idea to shove a useless button onto an otherwise clean UI?
Wow, you guys are stubborn. People have been begging for ways to remove this since it was introduced in beta years ago. Instead, you remove all options and force it down everyone’s throat.
I know! I honestly don’t understand it. If it was just a matter of something changing, but was superior, faster, whatever, then I’d stomach it. But it’s not. It’s inferior, ugly and at least in the way I need it, dysfunctional. It’s killing me. I’m grateful to the author of this article and others for trying to find work-arounds, but apparently the Chrome development Gods will not suffer our need for quick, functional user switching much longer, and it honestly baffles me.
Hi John,
Thanks for the information, but if so many people don’t like this new setup, why are you insisting on moving all of us to it? As another user stated, the existence of this thread – and dozens upon dozens of others – should be proof that at the very least, there should be some mechanism to retain the much quicker and easier user switching functionality. I work in paid search marketing and have many accounts that I need to constantly switch between. The new setup is cumbersome, slow, and if you reach a certain number of users, won’t even display all of the users available. You have to keep expanding the window and hope that you can make it big enough to see the user you want to switch to. So why? Why are you forcing this on everyone? It’s not our fault that the new method is clumsy, slow and in some cases, broken. Please reconsider this push. Sometimes the user actually has some idea of what they need and like. Thanks.
James I don’t thing he’s reading this blog post or our comments, its better for all guys to open a thread in Google Chrome help forum and provide feedback, they did bend to criticism and reverted to old bookmarks from new, I don’t think this time it happens.
Any way to do this on Chrome 44 for the Mac?
I use Windows only, I’ve not used Mac for a single time till now. Anyway, try running this in command prompt:
/Applications/Google\ Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google\ Chrome –disable-new-avatar-menu
Saying this after seeing this: https://www.chromium.org/for-testers/command-line-flags
trying this command right away in terminal via copy&paste and not looking anymore before hitting the enter key, the command didn’t work, because the sign before “disbable” seems to be some kind of hyphen or dash. the correct command must be with two “minus”-signs before “disable”:
/Applications/Google\ Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google\ Chrome –disable-new-avatar-menu
this command worked perfectly for me, and i thank you _very very much_ for the hint! :)
update: unfortunately the command only works for one “session”: after you quit chrome, the button is there again. what a pity -.-
Pin the shortcut,to which you’ve added the switch to taskbar.
yay! first i didn’t know how to do that “pinning of a shortcut” on a mac, but with the help of a little research it worked by creating an “automator” app: i started “automator” and chose “workflow”. then i chose the “do shell script action” with the following settings:
shell: /bin/bash
pass the input: as arguments
in the form i pasted the command
/Applications/Google\ Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google\ Chrome –disable-new-avatar-menu
and then i saved that as chrome_clean.app (not .workflow !) on my desktop, and it works like a charm; now i have this app in my dock and everything is finally fine. thx a lot again :)
Lyrabee, this is brilliant. Thank you for posting a detailed explanation, I followed and it worked perfectly.
When I try to do this I get a message stating, “Name is not valid. Please make sure path and file name are correct.”
Am I doing something wrong here?
Yes, give a space after Chrome.exe and add it. Updated the post with this information now.
I leave a space after “chrome.exe” and pasting it but it still says “the name in the specified target box is invalid”
Try to type the command instead of pasting.
Works like a charm, thanks so much! I’d wish they stop adding this useless stuff for good moving forward.
thanks again!
It’s still not working, even with space after “exe”, even after typing the command and not pasting it…Please revisit this problem!
edit: It still says “the name in the specified target box is invalid”
Its working for me without any issues Anton, which version of Chrome and channel you’re using?
YES it worked, it is gone. Thank you so much. (and now hope it will stay away, but i will save your instructions. Regards,
MCC
I tried that command and didn’t worked, I did it exactly as you say and still when I re-lunch the browser it still shows.
July 26 @7 pm I said YES IT WORKED. However, little time thereafter it showed up again. Can you help once more?
Ensure you’re accessing the shortcut from which you’ve added the switch, it could behave differently if you access from different Chrome icon on taskbar and start menu.
Hello I am still wondering is anyone can give me any help on the fact the command didn’t worked? The chrome version is 44 and windows 8.1 I would really appreciate if anyone could help me because that thing is driving me insane. Thank you.
Patty, after Chrome 44 release it did get another update, this may have changed Chrome shortcut to default. Right click on the shortcut and ensure you’ve added the command correctly, I’ve written that post on June 8th (check the date), I’ve added the switch and using Chrome since then with that shortcut. I’ve not noticed user menu single time, I hate that also because I am the only users using Chrome on my computer.
The weird is that it only showed up yesterday after I turned on and got back, I did the flags didn’t worked then I saw that shorcut and at first didn’t let me apply because it said there was an error that the address placed didn’t matched like some people have mentioned but then I was able to apply like this: “C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe” –disable-new-avatar-menu is there as you can see is there, is saved but when I open on that icon still shows. I take the command is right? If so I will try again.
You should be adding two dashes before the disable, check the update that I’ve just now posted for you guys to avoid the confusion.
@John Doe, Enrique and Patty,
have you tried inserting the space and commandline OUTSIDE the quotation marks? Got the same error as you at first but then it worked… ;-)
I’ve tried putting in the –disable-new-avatar-menu but when I do, it asks for an administrator’s permission to continue. After I press “continue”, the apply button turns gray as if it’s already been applied and nothing happens. I still have my name on Google Chrome. Do you have any advice on what to do?
Aren’t you running your system with administrator privileges?
My computer seems to accept the command but when i restart my browser the badge is still there. Is there anything else i can do?
Same here! Anyone suggestions?
This doesn’t work at all, it just yells at me that it’s invalid.
They’re such jerks, you cannot even use the spacebar to rename, you have to use an actual character.
You can go into the character map in windows and select/copy a special character called “U +200C Zero Width Non-Joiner”. It works as an input for the username, and appears as blank text.
Startup switch doesn’t work for me either.
But – you can simply click on your name in that stupid annoying button, then in the pop up where your name is shown, replace your name with something less annoying like a .
At least then the stupid thing doesn’t constantly show your own name at you.
Thanks a lot!
Forcing this sh!t.. Awesome.
Hey guys, I just had to update for 45 and the user menu is back and the little command that used to work on 44 doesn’t work now. Anyone knows what to do?
Patty, Its still working for me, ensure you’ve added the flag correctly.
You mean the –disable-new-avatar-menu ? On the Chrome icon right? Like it says on the top of the post? I mean I have it right and doesn’t work but I will try again.
Yes
Okay so Chrome updated again and now the version 46.0. shows once again that damn menu, is this still working on it or they managed a way around to stop it from working, because when I open Chrome is showing again.
As far as I know it no longer works, you can see the comment from Google employee in this post that confirms this https://techdows.com/2015/06/chrome-44-disable-user-menu.html#comment-76440
Well I got the version 47 and I just found it it doesn’t work at all.
I take you haven’t come across any way to get ride of that thing? It makes no sense at all. There should be a way to remove it.
People,
for delete icon in Windows
1. need unistall google browser,
2. instal 45 version standable (NOT START GOOGLE – updater instal fast new version)
3. when delete folder C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Update
4. when in regedit if have
Set the value of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Update\AutoUpdateCheckPeriodMinutes to the
REG_DWORD value of “0”.
5. start google clicking icon with properties: chrome.exe –disable-new-avatar-menu
start chrome, not icon, in updates chrome cant start update.
also for delete icons with visits site in top side, need instal extention
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/empty-new-tab-page/dpjamkmjmigaoobjbekmfgabipmfilij?
utm_source=chrome-app-launcher-info-dialog
u google, I spent a lot of time and energy to deal with it
Doesn’t work anymore in v.47
For that to work, the post above I mean we need to remove it and install the 45 version.
I hope there is another way because I don’t want to lose all the extension I have.
I just noticed on that the startup switch is no longer working. It was not a great solution to this most annoying name badge problem but at least it worked. I’m baffled why Google thinks this is so essential that it has to be forced down user’s throats. It is not, it is annoying, it is, frankly, a stupid design choice. They could have at least left a back door to disable for those who find it offensive.
I wonder what the other browsers have been up to. Maybe time to go back to Firefox.