How to Get Old Yahoo Mail Back with New Workaround

Last week, Yahoo killed off the workaround that gave back the old Yahoo mail to users, although the Basic version is still available.

Everything is not lost, however, as there are still ways around this issue. It might not last forever, but it will at least work for a while, which should make those unhappy with the newest Yahoo mail update happy.

Unfortunately, if you use Firefox or Chrome or any other new browser, you’ll have to keep in mind that this new method requires that you open up Internet Explorer. I cringed while searching for the browser so it’s ok if you do the same.

So here’s what you have to do. Open up Internet Explorer (versions 8 through 10 seem to work just fine) and access Yahoo Mail. You’ll get the full-featured, brand new interface where things rarely work.

Now, you need to activate Compatibility View and add Yahoo.com to the list there. In order to do this, you must click the Alt key, which brings out the top menu. Click on “Tools” and then on “Compatibility View” from the menu.

If this is the first time accessing the settings, you’ll get a window where you can add and remove websites to be displayed in Compatibility View. So, add Yahoo.com to the list or go to the extreme of displaying all websites in this manner by ticking the particular checkbox, if you really don’t use Internet Explorer anyway.

Now, you’ll get the Yahoo Mail version from before the big change, complete with tabs and clear interface. It won’t even disappear if you close it down since the setting remains saved in Internet Explorer.

All in all, the method should save you some time and energy, although it comes with the added inconvenience of launching yet another browser, which could slow down your computer.

(Thank you, Patrick, for the tip!)

[Update] Here's how to get the same results with Chrome, Firefox and Opera.

[Update] There's also a workaround for Safari users.