Software & Apps > MS Office How to Enable or Disable Focused Inbox in Outlook Turn off Focused Inbox for Outlook 2019, Microsoft 365, and Outlook.com By Heinz Tschabitscher Heinz Tschabitscher Writer University of Vienna A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on November 10, 2020 Reviewed by Ryan Perian Reviewed by Ryan Perian Western Governors University Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email In This Article Expand Jump to a Section Make Changes on Desktop Configure on Outlook.com Understand Inbox Criteria Customize a Focused Inbox The default view for most versions of Outlook is a feature called Focused Inbox, which separates important emails from the rest and places these messages in a special tab for quick access. If you wish to change the layout of your messages, it's possible to train the Focused Inbox or disable it altogether. Instructions in this article apply to Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2019, Outlook 2016, Outlook 2013, and Outlook.com. How to Enable or Disable Focused Inbox in Outlook The desktop versions of Outlook and Outlook for Microsoft 365 are identical. To toggle the Focused Inbox in the desktop versions of Outlook, go to the View tab and select Show Focused Inbox to turn the feature on or off. As of January 2020, there is a bug in the desktop versions of Outlook that causes the Focused Inbox option to disappear and reappear. Microsoft is aware of the issue and is working to fix it. How to Enable or Disable Focused Inbox on Outlook.com To toggle the Focused Inbox in the web version of Outlook: Log into your account and select the gear in the upper-right corner of the Outlook.com screen. Select the Focused Inbox toggle switch to turn the feature on or off. How Does Outlook Decide Which Emails to Put in the Focused Inbox? Several factors determine which messages display in the Outlook Focused Inbox. These include: Previous training from similar emails: For example, if you move an email from a newsletter to the Focused Inbox, future messages from the same newsletter appear in the Focused Inbox automatically. People you have emailed in the past: If you send numerous messages to a client, messages from their email address automatically appear in the Focused Inbox. People in your Outlook Contacts: If you add an email address to your address book, emails from these contacts appear in the Focused Inbox. How Can I Move Emails and Train My Outlook Focused Inbox? To move an email from another inbox to the Focused Inbox in any version of Outlook, right-click the message and select Move > Move to Focused Inbox. Select Always Move to Focused Inbox to automatically send messages from the same sender to your Focused Inbox in the future. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit