How to Customize UI and Toolbars in LibreOffice

LibreOffice provides a flexible workspace that allows users to tailor the visual environment and tool access to match their personal workflow. This guide covers how to switch between different user interface layouts—such as the modern tabbed ribbon or classic toolbars—customize existing toolbars with frequently used commands, create entirely new toolbars from scratch, and adjust icon themes for improved readability.

Switching the User Interface Layout

LibreOffice offers multiple built-in interface variants ranging from traditional menu bars to modern, ribbon-style layouts.

  1. Open any LibreOffice application (such as Writer or Calc).
  2. Go to View in the top menu bar.
  3. Select User Interface.
  4. Choose your preferred layout from the dialog box:
    • Standard Toolbar: The classic dual-toolbar layout.
    • Tabbed: A ribbon-like interface similar to modern Microsoft Office.
    • Single Toolbar: A compact, one-row toolbar ideal for small screens.
    • Sidebar: Keeps tools aligned to the right side of the screen.
    • Groupedbar Compact / Contextual Single: Dynamically adjusts tools based on the active task.
  5. Click Apply to All to change the UI across all LibreOffice apps, or Apply to [App] to apply it only to the current program.

Customizing Existing Toolbars

You can add missing commands, remove unused buttons, or reorganize toolbar icons.

  1. Navigate to Tools > Customize.
  2. Click on the Toolbars tab.
  3. In the Target dropdown menu, select the toolbar you want to modify (e.g., Standard or Formatting).
  4. To add a command: Locate the command in the Available Commands list on the left and click the right-arrow (➔) button to move it to the Assigned Commands list.
  5. To remove a command: Select the command in the Assigned Commands list and click the left-arrow (⬅) button or uncheck its box to hide it.
  6. To rearrange commands: Select a command on the right and use the Up and Down arrow buttons to adjust its position.
  7. Click OK to apply the changes.

Creating a New Custom Toolbar

If you want a dedicated toolbar containing only your most frequent actions:

  1. Open Tools > Customize and select the Toolbars tab.
  2. Click the + (Add) button next to the Target dropdown.
  3. Enter a name for the new toolbar.
  4. Choose whether to save the toolbar globally in LibreOffice or only within the current document.
  5. Add commands from the left pane to your new toolbar using the right-arrow button.
  6. Click OK. Your new floating toolbar will appear on the screen, and you can drag it to dock it anywhere along the window edges.

Changing Icon Themes and Sizes

To alter the visual style and scale of the icons within the interface:

  1. Go to Tools > Options (on macOS, go to LibreOffice > Preferences).
  2. Expand the LibreOffice section on the left and click View.
  3. Under Icon Style, choose a theme (such as Colibre, Breeze, or Sifr).
  4. Adjust the Icon Size settings for both toolbars and the sidebar to Automatic, Small, Large, or Extra Large.
  5. Click Apply and OK to save your preferences.