New Home Screen layout/functionality

Lara Lehnerz

Hello,

I am not thrilled with thew new home screen layout. Mainly because the feature of right clicking on a sheet/project will not allow you to open in a new tab/window. I like to keep the home screen open so I can access other sheets and opening them in a new tab.

Julie Becker

Hi @Lara Lehnerz

As much as i agree with you, i stopped waiting for Smartsheets to respond, not to mention leave things like this alone, so i wanted to share a solution that i currently do to help you during this time or until they fix the issue you present.

See image below as a temporarily solution to your situation (just wanted to help). Instead of using/relying on the Home Icon/Button at the the top, i teach all our current users to use either the fav. button (star) or the folders button to navigate around. The home button doesnt help most people and although i tried to give it the bennefit of the doubt, it was never going to meet my needs, so i gave up using it.

Maybe this is helpful or maybe you already know how to do this below, but in case you dont, i hope it can at least make your situation a little more user friendly for time being. If not, that is ok, maybe others can benefit from this, but either way, from my experience with Smartsheets UI Changes, 99% of the time, it wont EVER revert back unless it has a major impact on the programs future features or a massive amount of people quickly complain from all levels of accounts (Enterprise to Free). Since i dont see many posts about this, either people dont use the Home button (use one of the 2 i mentioned earlier), or they dont require the need to always open in a new tab. I know with Firefox (FF), you can force any new link you click on to ALWAYS open in a new tab (so thats an option if you want - tested myself)

Below are a few links to browser settings (listed keyboard shortcuts / tricks for each browser)

Google Chrome Feature Shortcuts / Keyboard Tricks:
1. Press Ctrl and Click a link: Opens the link in a new tab in the background (CTRL + Left Mouse Button).

Microsoft Edge - Open Links In New Tab Automatically:

1. Set Edge To Open Links: This shows you how to change the IE settings to always open in new tabs

Firefox - Open Links In New Tab Automatically:

1. Firefox Settings: This link shows you how to change your browsers settings to open in new tabs.

Lara Lehnerz

Hi Julie,

Thank you so much for the response and list of workarounds. I am aware the Browse (file folder icon) feature to right click and open in a new tab. We are mainly Google Chrome users, which I didn't know the Ctrl + Click option. That solves my issue and thank you so much.

I would still like to express my dislike of the whole new restructure of the Home page though. The previous look and feel was much better. I am only saying this for the Solutions team to maybe change it back in the near future. But from what you are saying that is unlikely, which is unfortunate.

Thanks again, I do appreciate your assistance and suggestions!

AnneV

I agree that the new home page is lacking. The new icons take up way too much real estate, making it hard to find things at a glance, and the list is too small.

As to "open in new tab" I have longed for the ability to make that the default for years!