How to Turn Off Google Buzz

After yesterday’s revelation of Google Buzz, one of the big questions that people are asking this morning is “how do I turn off Google Buzz, exactly?” Or, in cutesier language, “how do I unBuzz?”

Even though Google is roping the 176 million+ Gmail accounts into their great social experiment, they’re not evil (that’s their motto, after all), and while the off switch isn’t staring you in the face, it’s fairly painless to turn Google Buzz off:

• In any Gmail window, whether it’s your regular inbox, your Buzz inbox, or an individual message, scroll down to the bottom of the screen.
• In the footer, you’ll see a text link that says “turn off buzz.” Click that link.

• That’s it. (also, who knew you could turn off Gchat?)

Now, if you turn Buzz off, feel a pang of remorse, and want to turn Buzz back on, you might go to google.com/buzz, click the “try buzz in Gmail” button six or seven times, and weep and curse the Norns when Buzz doesn’t come back. But don’t worry! In the same footer position that the “turn off buzz” button appeared, you will now find a “turn on buzz” button; click that to restore Google Buzz.

Related: If you want to keep Buzz, but don’t want it to clutter your Gmail inbox, Lifehacker has a helpful tutorial on putting a filter in place.