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How to Use Focused Inbox in Outlook

Applies toOutlookMicrosoft 365
4 min fix Updated 9 Mar 2026 · 6 months ago

By , 10+ years in IT support and helpdesk How these guides are checked

Quick Answer

Open Outlook, click the View tab on the ribbon, and click the Show Focused Inbox button to toggle the feature on or off. This separates your inbox into 'Focused' (important) and 'Other' (newsletters).

Checked against Microsoft Learn - new Outlook for Windows, Microsoft 365 Roadmap and between 5 Aug 2026 and 12 Sep 2026. Nothing published in that period has been linked to this guide.

Summary ​

Focused Inbox automatically separates your most important emails into a Focused tab and moves less important messages (newsletters, automated notifications) to an Other tab. This article explains how to enable, disable, and train Focused Inbox to sort your email the way you prefer.

Before You Start ​

  • Microsoft Outlook desktop app or Outlook on the web.
  • A Microsoft 365 or Exchange Online mailbox.
  • No admin rights required.

Instructions ​

1. Enable or Disable Focused Inbox (Desktop App) ​

Turn the feature on or off in the Outlook desktop app.

  1. Open Outlook.
  2. Click the View tab on the ribbon. If your ribbon has no View tab you are in New Outlook, where the setting lives under Settings > Mail > Layout rather than the ribbon — see Understanding Outlook Versions — Classic vs. New vs. Web to confirm which version you have.
  3. Click Show Focused Inbox.
  4. Two tabs appear above your message list: Focused and Other.
  5. To disable, click Show Focused Inbox again — the tabs disappear and all emails show in a single list.

2. Enable or Disable Focused Inbox (Outlook on the Web) ​

Turn the feature on or off in your browser.

  1. Open Outlook on the web (outlook.office.com).
  2. Click the Settings gear icon in the top-right corner.
  3. Under Mail > Layout, find Focused Inbox.
  4. Toggle the Sort messages into Focused and Other option on or off.
  5. Click Save.

3. Move a Message Between Focused and Other ​

Manually reclassify a message.

  1. Right-click the email you want to move.
  2. Select Move to Focused or Move to Other depending on where it currently is.
  3. The message moves to the selected tab immediately.

4. Train Focused Inbox to Always Sort a Sender ​

Teach Outlook where future messages from a sender should go.

  1. Right-click the email from the sender you want to reclassify.
  2. Select Move to Focused or Move to Other.
  3. When prompted, choose Always move messages from [Sender Name] to confirm.
  4. All future messages from that sender will automatically appear in the selected tab. This sorts between the two tabs only — to send a sender's mail to a folder instead, see How to Create Email Rules in Outlook.

5. Check the Other Tab Regularly ​

Ensure you do not miss important messages that were misclassified.

  1. Click the Other tab at the top of your inbox.
  2. Review the messages — move any important ones to Focused using the steps above.
  3. Over time, Focused Inbox learns your preferences and sorting accuracy improves.

Troubleshooting ​

INFO

Focused Inbox uses machine learning to prioritise messages based on your behaviour — who you reply to, what you read, and how you interact with senders. The sorting improves over time as you move messages between tabs.

Symptom / ErrorPotential CauseSolution
Focused Inbox option is not visibleFeature may be disabled by admin policyCheck with your IT department — some organisations disable Focused Inbox via Exchange policies.
Important emails keep going to OtherOutlook has not learned your preferenceRight-click the email, select Move to Focused, and choose Always move messages from this sender.
All emails appear in one listFocused Inbox is turned offGo to View > Show Focused Inbox to re-enable the feature.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I teach Outlook that a newsletter is actually important?
Go to the 'Other' tab, right-click the email you want to prioritize, and select 'Always move to Focused'. Outlook will remember this rule for all future emails from that sender.
Does Focused Inbox delete the emails in the 'Other' tab?
No. Focused Inbox is just a view filter. Emails in the 'Other' tab are still in your inbox, taking up storage space, and will remain there until you manually delete them.