You can quickly change the appearance of the message list and reading pane in Outlook so it looks and behaves the way you want.
Notes:
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If you're having trouble signing in to your Outlook.com account, see How to sign in to Outlook.com.
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If you're having trouble signing in to work or school account, see How to sign in to Outlook on the web.
Change how your email is sorted
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At the top of the message list, select Filter.
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Select Sort by and choose how you want to sort your email.
Open the Settings pane
To find the most frequently used Mail settings, select Settings 
at the top of the page.
To change settings not included in the Settings pane, select View all Outlook settings at the bottom of the Settings pane.
Theme
Under Theme, choose from one of the themes displayed. You can also select View all to choose from more options.
Dark mode
Dark mode switches the color scheme from a light background to a dark one. Turning on dark mode can reduce eye strain in low-light environments.
To learn more about dark mode, see Dark mode in Outlook.com and Outlook on the web.
Focused Inbox
When Focused Inbox is on, Outlook automatically sorts messages in your Inbox into Focused and Other tabs to help you focus on what matters most. If you prefer to see all your email messages in one place instead of having them sorted into Focused and Other, select the toggle to turn it off.
Note: Focused Inbox applies only to your Inbox. It doesn't sort messages in other folders.
Desktop notifications
Desktop notifications let you know when you've received a new message or have an upcoming calendar event, even when your browser window is minimized. You might need to enable notifications in your browser to use desktop notifications in Outlook.
Display density
Display density lets you adjust the spacing between messages in your message list. Choose Full to view sender images, attachment previews, and message preview text (sender, subject, and part of the first line of text). Medium shows only message preview text with some spacing between messages, and Compact shows only message preview text with minimal spacing between messages.
Conversation view
Conversation view groups your messages by conversation. You can view conversations with the Newest messages on top or Newest messages on bottom. If you prefer, you can turn Conversation view Off.
Reading pane
You can configure the Reading pane by selecting Show on the right or Show on the bottom. If you don't want to use the reading pane, select Hide.
See more settings
To find other ways to personalize your Outlook.com or Outlook on the web experience, scroll to the bottom of the Settings pane and select View all Outlook settings.
Still need help?
Get help with Outlook on the web
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To get support in Outlook.com, click here or select Help on the menu bar and enter your query. If the self-help doesn't solve your problem, scroll down to Still need help? and select Yes. To contact us in Outlook.com, you'll need to sign in. If you can't sign in, click here. |
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For other help with your Microsoft account and subscriptions, visit Account & Billing Help. |
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To get help and troubleshoot other Microsoft products and services, enter your problem here. |
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Post questions, follow discussions and share your knowledge in the Outlook.com Community. |
See Also
Change font size and appearance of email in Outlook.com
