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Getting Rid of Facebook Chat Sidebar

Facebook: New Sidebar Chat

So most of you Facebook users would've noticed the new chat sidebar. Most of you also hate it since it doesn't allow you to scroll through your list of friends online as yet.

Hopefully Facebook will update it soon with a way for users to scroll through it properly inside Facebook.

If you are not a fan of it, and would like to get rid of it temporarily, you can actually hide it.

If you look next to the Options button on the bottom right, you can see the option to "Hide Sidebar" button.

Once you hide the sidebar, your chat will appear on the left sidebar like the image below. Then, when you see someone you want to talk to, just click on one of their names.

After hiding sidebar

As of yet, there are no scripts or add-ons available to revert the Facebook Chat to its old version, however if there is, I will update this post as soon as it is made available!

Update @ 29/07 - 3.30PM: Google Chrome users can now move back to the old sidebar chat completely, by installing this extension.

The extension is called Facebook Chat Sidebar Disabler. All you need to do is click "Install" on the website, and refresh your Facebook page!

Update @ 1.08AM PST: There is now a script available that makes the chat more bearable to use. You can download and install the script from here:

http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/107159

To install it on Google Chrome:

• Go to the script website, click on the install button on the top right
• Run the installation and it will auto execute.
• Restart Chrome and login to Facebook

To install it on Mozilla Firefox:

Update @ 17/07 - 4.00AM PST: If you would like an alternate way of viewing your chat, this would be one:

https://www.facebook.com/presence/popout.php

Update @ 17/07  4.00AM PST: Add Facebook Chat to the side bar on Firefox:

• Open Mozilla Firefox and click "Ctrl+Shift+B" on your keyboard. The Mozilla Firefox Library window will appear on your screen.
• Click the expansion box to the left of "All Bookmarks" and then click "Bookmarks Toolbar" on the left side of the Mozilla Firefox Library window.
• Click "Organize" at the top of the Mozilla Firefox Library window and then click "New Bookmark."
• Type "Facebook Chat" in the blank field to the right of "Name."
• Type "http://www.facebook.com/presence/popout.php" in the blank field to the right of "Location."
• Check the blank box to the left of "Load this bookmark in the sidebar."
• Click "Add." The Facebook Chat program will now be added to your Mozilla Firefox Bookmarks toolbar, by default located just below the Address bar in your Mozilla Firefox browser.
• Click the "Facebook Chat" icon on the Bookmarks toolbar on your Mozilla Firefox browser to run the Facebook Chat program in a sidebar. You will have to click "Facebook Chat" in each new Mozilla Firefox browsing session to place the program on the sidebar. To adjust the size of the Facebook Chat window, hold your cursor over the right edge of the program and hold your left-mouse button down. Drag the edge of the Facebook Chat window to the right until all of your chat window is viewable

Update @ 16/07 - 6.00PM PST: New Facebook sidebar chat is back! =(

Update @ 16/07 - 12.00AM PST: Chat reverted back to old format! Yay...

Update @ 11.00PM PST: If you would like to let Facebook know about issues you're facing with the new chat, you can do so here:

http://www.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=ui_chat2

If you would like to get rid of the chat permanently, you can do so by following the steps below for Chrome and Firefox.