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# Clean Up Your GNOME Panel With This New Extension
- URL: https://itsfoss.com/veil-gnome-extension/
- Published: 2025-11-17T12:49:10.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-20T01:27:11.000Z
- Description: Hide unwanted panel icons automatically with Veil.
- Author: Sourav Rudra
- Tags: First Look

I rely heavily on [GNOME extensions](https://extensions.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) for my daily workflow. From [Dash to Dock](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/307/dash-to-dock/?ref=itsfoss.com) for quick app launching to [Tiling Shell](https://itsfoss.com/news/tiling-shell-gnome-extension/) to effortlessly manage app windows while working. These basically turn the vanilla GNOME experience into something that truly fits my needs.

While browsing through the latest [This Week in GNOME](https://thisweek.gnome.org//posts/2025/11/twig-225/?ref=itsfoss.com) post, I stumbled upon something interesting. A developer announced **Veil**, describing it as a cleaner and more modern way than [Hide Items](https://github.com/fablevi/HideItems?ref=itsfoss.com) to manage applets in the GNOME panel.

It sounded promising. So I decided to take it for a spin and see what it brings to the table.

## Veil: Overview ⭐

[](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/nebi-os-desktop-view.jpg)

![the about page of the veil gnome extension is shown here, with the top panel having the toggle for veil](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/veil-about-page.png)

Veil comes from [Dagim G. Astatkie](https://dagimg.com/?ref=itsfoss.com), a software professional based out of Ethiopia. This extension addresses a common frustration among GNOME users. If you are a power user, then your top panel can quickly fill up with system indicators and status icons. 

It gets messy fast, and **Veil gives you control over what stays visible and what gets hidden away**.

It offers **many handy features**, like auto-hide items on timer, slick animations when showing or hiding items, and the ability to selectively choose which panel icons stay visible.

## Initial Impressions 👨‍💻

I installed it using [Extension Manager](https://itsfoss.com/extension-manager/) on a Ubuntu 25.10 system, and I found it straightforward from start to finish. First, I enabled a few other extensions to properly test how Veil handles multiple panel items. Once that was done, everything clicked into place.

A single click on the sharp-looking arrow at the top right of the panel did the trick. My network stats indicator disappeared. The Tiling Shell layout switcher vanished. System Monitor went away too. A clean top panel, just like that.

![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/veil-general-page.png)

![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/11/veil-panel-items.png)

**Veil's General and Panel Items page.*

**If I wanted to tweak things further**, I could easily do so by heading into the "*General*" tab of the extension settings. There I got to play around with options like save state, default visibility, changing the arrow icon to something else for open and close actions, configuring auto-hide timing, and deciding which items stay visible at all times.

This level of freedom should be enough for most people who want a clean top panel and some peace of mind.

## 📥 Get Veil

If you already have GNOME extensions set up on your system, installation is straightforward. Visit the [extensions website](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/8786/veil/?ref=itsfoss.com) or open [Extension Manager](https://itsfoss.com/extension-manager/) and search for "*Veil*" by author "*JD*".

If you haven't configured extensions yet, our complete guide on [GNOME shell extensions](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-shell-extensions/) will walk you through the entire setup process. The source code for Veil lives on [GitHub](https://github.com/dagimg-dot/veil?ref=itsfoss.com) for those interested in contributing or building from source.

[Veil](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/8786/veil/?ref=itsfoss.com)

**Suggested Read 📖**

[How to Use GNOME Shell Extensions \[Complete Guide\]Step-by-step detailed guide to show you how to install GNOME Shell Extensions manually or easily via a browser.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/icon/android-chrome-512x512-23.png)It's FOSSAbhishek Prakash![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/thumbnail/use-gnome-shell-extensions.png)](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-shell-extensions/)