Question

How do we go back to the old sidebar?

38 replies
325 views

What the heck? The first thing I want to do on a Thursday morning is re-learn how to navigate a tool using more clicks and changed phrasing.

Thanks QuickBooks!

QuickBooks Online

C

ChristieAnn 11

Level 9

Hi there, nonethanks.

Thank you for visiting the QuickBooks Community again, nonethanks. Let me discuss different details on how viewing all the features in QuickBooks Online works. Then, I'll ensure you'll be able to view all the tools in the program after following the steps below.

There are two ways to display your account in QuickBooks Online, as Business and accountant view. Your default view is based on what you tell us when you first set up QuickBooks. With this, if you're referring to seeing the sidebar menus that have Dashboard, Banking, and Sales, I suggest making sure that your QBO is set to Accountant view.

Here's how:

Click the Gear icon ⚙.
Go to the Profile section.
Choose Switch to Accountant view.

I added a screenshot below for visual reference.

However, if you mean viewing all of the tools on the left panel and you can't see them, it's possible that the Hamburger icon was clicked to hide those menus. I recommend selecting the said option to see all of the tools so you can begin re-learning and navigating.

Lastly, I'm adding this article to further guide you in effectively managing your business using QBO: Help guide for QuickBooks Online. It contains topics about advanced accounting, banking, and payments to name a few.

Let me know if there's anything else you need help with all the features in QBO by clicking the Reply button below. I'm always here to help you, nonethanks. Take care and keep safe!

G

Greebo

Well as usual you guys have answered the question the OP DIDN'T ASK.

We get to log in this morning and the UI we learned to navigate has been rearranged completely without warning. We don't want the accountant view - we would have LIKED an option to check out the new layout or to keep the old one.

Throwing changes at your users with no warning or input only makes it harder for us to do our daily tasks.

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rbaek

I'm almost positive these responses are bots disguised as QBO customer service reps. As you pointed out they frequently answer a question that was never asked and seem to always provide a very broad, generic response to whatever question they do happen to be answering.

D

Dave_L

This new sidebar is the worst I've seen in a while. The sub-menu, which slides over the main menu in the sidebar, is an anti-pattern. I can't stand it. Not being able to see the sub-menus items without giving a click on the first-level menu item is absolutely frustrating.

Does QBO consults its clients before rolling out new UX ? Did you even test it ? The sliding animation is distracting, the main menu getting hidden by the sub-menu sliding over it is simply awful...

Please, how can we roll back?

J

JamaicaA

QuickBooks Team

Hi @Dave_L,

I understand that you'll need to go to the sidebar menu to view and manage your transactions. I also recognize the inconvenience of navigating in to unfamiliar menu and buttons, that’s why I’ll share more clarification about QBO’s interface.

I’d like to know what QBO version you're using. I would also appreciate it if you can add some screenshots of your concern. This way, I'll be able to get on the same page and provide additional information.

The Accountant and Business view are the two ways to display your account. Each view has slight differences when you switch between them. See the screenshots below:

Additionally, we’re unable to revert the changes once an update is made to the user interface. Certain menus have also been renamed during the most recent update. For example, invoicing, customer and vendor-related transactions are now moved under Get paid and Pay.

If you’re looking for the Transactions and Sales section, it was renamed to Banking and Invoicing. Not to worry, options and features are still the same.

I do agree with you that adding more customizations and functionality would make the program better and more flexible. We want to ensure our users get the most out of QuickBooks. With this, you'll want to send your idea to our developers about the changes made.

Here’s how:

Go to the Gear icon.
Under the Profile column, select Feedback.
Enter your suggestions, then click Next.

Please know that we’re unable to provide a specific time frame as to when this feature will be available. I also encourage you to visit our QuickBooks Blog page so you'll be updated on the program's new release features and enhancements.

For more sources and helpful links, please see our QuickBooks Help articles site. Simply enter a keyword of your concern on the search bar and the system will show related links you can use.

If you have further questions about customizing your menu bar, please leave a reply below. I'll be always around to help. More power to your business.

G

Greebo

Also not what was asked.

Do you people even bother to read the questions?

S

sdillhoff

This is not just "unfamiliar" this is a usability disaster. We don't need an article or a video to show us what we already know - it is distracting and literally unpleasant to work with.

Intuit - we pay for this product. We are telling you this is making our job harder. We are actually your end-users. Please give us the option to revert back to a solution that works.

JessT

Moderator

Hi sdillhoff,

I understand how it feels to work with a tool that has a changed its interface, especially if you are used to a previous version and are comfortable with it. It can take time to adjust to new layouts and features, and it can be disruptive to your workflow if you are not able to use QBO as efficiently as before.

I recommend submitting your feedback about the changed interface to our development team. By sharing your thoughts and experiences, you can help them understand how this has impacted you and potentially guide them in making improvements or considering the old look.

I'm only a comment away should you have more questions about QuickBooks. Take care.

C

chris-myers

Thank you for addressing the question asked, JessT. I've submitted feedback.

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lauren potter

I was furious about this new change. Its awful and distracting. However I JUST found something that made it a bit more bearable (maybe it will help others too)....
If you edit the menu and add your most frequently visited tabs as a "bookmark" (Mine were Banking, Reports, Reconcile and COA) Then when you click on one of those bookmarks (as opposed to clicking through the menu levels) then the menu stays open and doesn't collapse and do its annoying animation. Just thought I'd pass along to others who have been struggling like I have with this menu redesign.

J

JohnW333

Thanks for the tip, Lauren. Unfortunate all the way around. I'd be curious to see if Quickbooks has received ANY positive feedback on this change. Seems like the change was made by someone who has no real world experience running a business.

J

JohnW333

Just noticed that my sidebar has more or less reverted to the previous style. So it appears that this awful change has been rolled back. Not sure how long ago this happened as I was using the "Bookmarks" workaround. Thought I would mention here in case others were doing the same.

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sdillhoff

Thank you! I will check.

D

DivyaMody

Community Manager

There isn't a switch that restores one specific past sidebar, but you do control the layout through two settings that get you very close: the Business view / Accountant view toggle and the bookmarks you pin to the menu. If the newer, simplified menu isn't working for you, switching to Accountant view gives you the fuller, standard-accounting layout that long-time users are usually looking for.

Switch your view

Select Settings (the gear icon) in the upper-right corner.
At the bottom of the menu you'll see which view you're in. Select Switch to Accountant view (or Switch to Business view if you prefer the simpler one).

Your data isn't affected either way, and you can switch back anytime. Accountant view uses standard accounting terms and shows more of the tools at once; Business view uses everyday language and focuses on common tasks.

Stop the menu from collapsing by using bookmarks

If the part that bothers you is the sub-menu sliding over the main menu and collapsing as you move around, pinning your most-used pages as bookmarks keeps the menu steady and cuts down on clicks:

Next to Bookmarks at the top of the left menu, select Edit (the pencil icon).
Select the pages you use most, for example Reports, Reconcile, Chart of accounts, and Banking or Transactions.
Save. Those items now sit at the top of the menu, so you can jump straight to them without clicking through each level.

A note on menu names

Some items were renamed as the navigation was updated, so a few labels may differ from what you remember even though the features are the same. For example, depending on your view, sales, customer, and vendor tasks may appear under different headings, and "Banking" may appear as "Transactions." QuickBooks has also been consolidating toward a single, more organized menu based on the Accountant view layout, so the exact options you see can change over time

Switch your view

Stop the menu from collapsing by using bookmarks

A note on menu names

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