How to Change the Outlook Email Notification Sound

Businessman in home office checks laptop
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by Heinz Tschabitscher
An independent writer who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997.
Updated September 23, 2018

It is nice to be informed acoustically when new emails arrive, but the standard sound in Microsoft Outlook gets boring quickly. Fortunately, you can easily change the email notification sound Outlook plays.

How to Change the Outlook Email Notification Sound in Windows 10

To have Windows play a different sound when you get new emails in Outlook:

  1. Open the Start menu in Windows.

    Note: If you use the Start menu full screen, click the hamburger menu button near the Start screen's top left corner.

  2. Select Settings from the menu; this item may only appear as a gear icon (⚙️).

  3. Open the Personalization category.

  4. Go to the Themes section.

  5. Click Sounds.

    Depending on your version of Windows, this item may be called Advanced sound settings (under Related Settings).

  6. Make sure the Sounds tab is active in the Sound settings dialog.

  7. Highlight New Mail Notification under Windows in the Program Events: list.

  8. Choose the desired sound under Sounds:.

    You can select (None) to effectively disable the new mail notification sound in Outlook and other Microsoft email programs such as Mail for Windows 10 or Windows Live Mail—no matter the email alert settings in these programs.

  9. Click OK.

Change the Outlook Email Notification Sound in Windows 98-Vista

To change the new mail notification sound for Outlook:

  1. Open the Windows Control Panel.

  2. In Windows 7 and Vista:

    Type "sound" in the Search box.

    Click Change system sounds.

  3. In Windows 98-XP:

    Open Sounds.

  4. Select the New Mail Notification sound.

  5. Specify the file of your choice for it.

  6. Click OK.

(Changing the Outlook email notification sound tested with Outlook 16 and Windows 10)