Is there a way to switch back to the Mavericks UI in Yosemite?

Erase your hard drive and reinstall the backup you made before installing Yosemite

Pete

He's basically saying no, if you want it to look like Mavericks, use Mavericks

You can try going to Settings > Accessibility > Display and check "Reduce transparency", that may help.

I'm seriously thinking of downgrading back to Mavericks for one very specific reason - the Mail app. As a long-time Mail user, I've always had the Address Panel open down the left side of the Mail app, selected from the Window/Address Panel menu item. It showed a simple list of all contacts, or groups, and only the email address(es) associated with each one. Could select a group then click BCC or TO: or whatever. Could also select multiple addresses and pop them into the CC: list or wherever you liked. And within a Group (eg Work) could do multiple select, and also choose which email address to use for those who have more than one (eg work vs personal).

But - Apple seems to have removed it in Yosemite. The Mail app has NO WAY - at least that I can find - to access a simple list of contacts and email addresses from within the Mail app. What an absolutely stupid move, unless it's just me being dense and can't find it!

If anyone can point me to where or how to show that Address Panel in the Mail app, I'd be most grateful. Having Contacts app open all the time just doesn't cut it either, apart from not enough screen real estate. Contacts won't show you a simple list of people and email addresses like the Address Panel in Mail did. It shows you the full details, one at a time, for each contact. Which is absolutely NO good if I have to send out emails to 50 work colleagues, for example.

Why does Apple DO stuff like this? Like removing the sidebar in iTunes, for another example?

If I can't find an Address Panel for Mail, I'm going back to Mavericks. Anyone got any clues?

There is a sidebar still in iTunes, for example in the all music view. When I get home I'll post how to get to it.

Really, is it possible to go back from Yosemite to Maverics? Somehow? Design, blue icons, battery icon, dock - looks terrible.

Stavrogin wrote:

Really, is it possible to go back from Yosemite to Maverics? Somehow? Design, blue icons, battery icon, dock - looks terrible.

Of course there is. You did make a system backup before upgrading, did you not?

Pete

Have you tried the dark mode? Plus in Accessibility you can reduce contrast and transparency

You MUST have a back up of your Mavericks system either with TIme Machine or the likes of SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner.

Log out and shutdown. Restart holding cmd +R down to get restore screen and restore from back up copy.

So glad I'm back on Mavericks and have working copy of iPhoto and don't have to look at god awful drab grey menu drop downs anymore !

Dark theme is NOT consistent in Yosemite varies across OS and apps

I have the same issue! Why would Apple downgrade Mail? Bring back the Address Panel or I too will go back to Mavericks!

The Blue plus sign is on all new message formats click and contacts are displayed

Click the Bue plus sign when composing any new massage.

Yes, but you can only pick one address at a time using this method. With the address panel you could pick multiple address', then choose To:, Bcc:, or Ccc: all in one step.

Your right, I thought this would help, I'll keep looking for a fix 😉