Turn Off Focused Inbox in Outlook: Step-by-Step

Focused Inbox in Outlook automatically splits your inbox into two tabs—Focused and Other—to prioritize messages it thinks are important. If you find the sorting unhelpful or prefer a single chronological list, you can turn it off in a few clicks. This guide shows you how to disable it on the web, desktop, mobile, and Mac versions, and what to do if the option isn’t appearing.

What You’ll Need

• Access to your Outlook account (Microsoft 365, Outlook.com, or work/school account)
• For desktop: Outlook 2016 or later, or the new Outlook for Windows
• For mobile: The Outlook app installed on iOS or Android
• For Mac: Outlook for Mac 2016 or later

Step-by-Step

Outlook on the Web (Outlook.com or Microsoft 365)

1. Go to outlook.com or your organization’s Outlook web app and sign in.
2. Click the gear icon (Settings) in the top-right corner of the window.
3. Scroll down and click View all Outlook settings at the bottom of the settings pane.
4. In the settings window, select Mail from the left sidebar.
5. Click Layout.
6. Under the Message organization section, you’ll see Focused Inbox.
7. Uncheck the box that says Sort messages into Focused and Other.
8. Click Save at the top of the window. Your inbox will immediately revert to a single view.

Outlook Desktop (Windows)

1. Open the Outlook desktop app.
2. Click the View tab on the ribbon at the top.
3. Look for the Focused Inbox button in the Layout group (it may be labeled “Focused Inbox” or just “Focused”).
4. Click it to toggle it off. When it’s off, the button will not be highlighted, and the “Focused” and “Other” tabs will disappear from your inbox.
5. If you don’t see the button, go to File > Options > Mail and under the Send messages section, uncheck Show Focused Inbox.

New Outlook for Windows (Preview)

1. Open the new Outlook for Windows app.
2. Click the gear icon (Settings) in the top-right corner.
3. Select Mail from the settings menu.
4. Choose Layout.
5. Under Message organization, uncheck Sort messages into Focused and Other.
6. Changes are saved automatically.

Outlook Mobile App (iOS and Android)

1. Open the Outlook app on your phone or tablet.
2. Tap your profile picture or the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) in the top-left corner.
3. Tap the gear icon (Settings) at the bottom of the menu.
4. Tap Mail (or Inbox on some versions).
5. Find the Focused Inbox toggle switch.
6. Turn the toggle off. Your inbox will now show all messages in a single chronological list.

Outlook for Mac

1. Open Outlook for Mac.
2. Click Outlook in the menu bar (top-left of your screen) and select Preferences.
3. Under Email, click Reading.
4. Uncheck Show Focused Inbox.
5. Close the preferences window. The change takes effect immediately.

Common Mistakes

• Clicking the wrong gear icon: In Outlook.com, there are two gear icons—one for quick settings and one for full settings. Make sure you click the one that says “View all Outlook settings.”
• Looking for a toggle in the desktop ribbon: In the classic desktop app, the setting is a button, not a toggle. If you don’t see it, you may be using the new Outlook, which uses the settings gear instead.
• Expecting the change to sync instantly: In some cases, it may take a few minutes for the change to sync across all your devices. If you have Outlook on multiple platforms, you may need to turn it off on each one.
• Forgetting to save in Outlook.com: If you don’t click Save after unchecking the box, the change won’t be applied.

Tips

• Turn it off once, it applies to all folders: Disabling Focused Inbox affects your entire mailbox, not just your inbox. You won’t see Focused/Other tabs in any folder.
• Use the “Other” tab to train it: If you’re not ready to turn it off completely, you can right-click (or long-press) messages and select “Always Move to Focused” or “Always Move to Other” to improve its sorting.
• Keyboard shortcut in desktop: In the classic Outlook desktop app, you can quickly toggle Focused Inbox by pressing Ctrl+Shift+F (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+F (Mac) on some versions.
• Check for add-ins: Some third-party add-ins can override the Focused Inbox setting. If it keeps turning back on, disable any add-ins that manage your inbox.

Troubleshooting

I don’t see the Focused Inbox option at all.
This can happen if your account is an Exchange or IMAP account that doesn’t support Focused Inbox. Focused Inbox is available for Microsoft 365, Outlook.com, and Exchange Online accounts. If you’re using a POP or IMAP account, the feature simply isn’t available, and you don’t need to turn it off—it won’t appear.

The toggle is grayed out.
This usually means your IT administrator has enforced a policy that prevents you from changing this setting. Contact your IT support team and ask them to disable Focused Inbox for your account.

I turned it off, but it came back after restarting Outlook.
Try turning it off again and make sure you click Save (web) or close the settings window properly (desktop). If it persists, check if you have any add-ins that might be resetting the setting. You can disable add-ins by going to File > Options > Add-ins (Windows) or Outlook > Preferences > Add-ins (Mac).

My inbox still shows Focused/Other after turning it off.
In the web version, you may need to refresh the page (F5). In the desktop app, close and reopen Outlook. If you have multiple accounts in Outlook, make sure you turned off Focused Inbox for the correct account—the setting is per account.

The setting is off, but new messages still go to “Other.”
This can happen if the change hasn’t synced yet. Wait a few minutes, then check again. Also, make sure you turned it off in the account you’re actually reading—if you have multiple accounts, each one has its own setting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off Focused Inbox affect my other folders?

No, Focused Inbox only applies to your inbox. Other folders (like Sent, Drafts, or custom folders) are never split into Focused/Other.

Will I lose any emails if I turn off Focused Inbox?

No, all emails remain in your inbox. Turning it off simply removes the visual split and shows all messages in one chronological list.

Can I turn it back on later?

Yes, you can re-enable it at any time by following the same steps and checking the box or toggling it on.

Does this work for Gmail accounts in Outlook?

Focused Inbox is a Microsoft feature. If you add a Gmail account to Outlook, it may still show Focused/Other, but the setting is controlled by Outlook, not Gmail. Turning it off in Outlook will remove the tabs for all accounts.

Why does my Outlook show Focused Inbox on my phone but not on my computer?

Each device and app version has its own setting. You need to turn it off separately on each platform (web, desktop, mobile, Mac).

Is there a way to disable Focused Inbox for all users in an organization?

Yes, administrators can use PowerShell or the Exchange admin center to set Set-OrganizationConfig -FocusedInboxOn $false. This requires admin rights, so regular users should contact their IT department.

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