Change Outlook View: Customize Your Email Experience

ByJim Miller

Even though Google's Gmail dominates the email space, there's no denying the impact of Outlook. With millions of users, it's the preferred choice for enterprise users and Office 365 customers. Outlook offers an excellent theming engine and a wide range of customization options, including the ability to change the email view. In this article, we'll show you how to change Outlook view on both the desktop and the web.

Change Outlook View on the Web

Outlook on the web is a popular choice for many users due to its rich features, such as Outlook Spaces and Outlook Rules. Here's how you can change the view on Outlook web:

  1. Visit Outlook on the web.
  2. Sign in using your account credentials.
  3. Click on the Settings gear at the top.
  4. Disable Focused Inbox if you prefer a different way of sorting emails.
  5. From the Display density menu, select Full or Compact.
  6. Scroll down and adjust the Conversation view and Reading pane to your preference.

All changes you make will be visible in real-time, allowing you to customize Outlook to your liking.

Change Outlook View on Mac

Microsoft recently redesigned the Outlook app for macOS, making it easier to change the view. Here's how you can do it:

  1. Open Outlook on Mac.
  2. Click Outlook on the Mac menu bar.
  3. Open the Outlook Preferences menu.
  4. Select Reading.
  5. Change the default Outlook view from Roomy to Cozy or Compact.
  6. Disable Show message preview, Show sender image, and Show group headers from the same menu.

You can also disable Focused Inbox and take advantage of swipe gestures in the Outlook Mac app.

Change Outlook View on Windows

Outlook offers the most extensive customization options on the Windows app. Here's how you can change the view on Outlook for Windows:

  1. Open Microsoft 365 Outlook app on your Windows computer.
  2. From the Email menu, click on View.
  3. Select Change View and switch from Compact view to Single view or Preview.

After making changes to the Outlook view, you can save the new view as your default view. Additionally, you can adjust the message preview, spacing, layout, and add more columns to personalize your Outlook experience.

Customize Outlook Experience on Mobile Apps

While you can't change the view on the Outlook mobile apps, you can disable Focused Inbox if you prefer a different approach to email handling. Here's how you can do it on both iOS and Android:

  1. Open the Outlook app on your mobile device.
  2. Tap on the Outlook icon at the top and go to Settings.
  3. Disable Focused Inbox from the Email menu.

Wrapping Up: Personalize Your Outlook Experience

Not everyone is a fan of the default Outlook view on the desktop and web. Luckily, with the right customizations, you can easily change the view to suit your preferences. While the mobile apps don't offer the same level of customization, you can still disable Focused Inbox. Take control of your Outlook experience by customizing it to your liking.