Focused Inbox in Microsoft Outlook

What is the Focused Inbox in Microsoft Outlook 365 and Outlook 2016?

Recent versions of Outlook 365 and Outlook 2016 have introduced a feature called Focused Inbox. When this feature is enabled the “Focused” and “Other” tabs will appear at the top of your mailbox. You can switch between tabs any time to take a quick look.  This feature separates important emails from the rest and places them in the “Focused” tab view for faster access.  While the rest remain easily accessible, but out of the way, on the “Other” tab.

This feature insightfully sorts your email so you can see what is important.  It puts your most vital messages in “Focused” and the rest in “Other”.  Therefore making a personalized focused inbox that feels appropriate to you.  The framework considers messages and contacts with whom you interface, and sorts through the newsletters, automatically generated and spam email.  Your notifications are synchronized to Focused Inbox, on iOS your badge count is synchronized to Focused Inbox also.  Focused Inbox in Outlook 365 and Outlook 2016 works on all of your email accounts added to Outlook.  The more you utilize it, the better it gets!

You can easily sort messages amongst Focused and Other

1. Simply right click on an email message in Outlook
2. Select “Move to Focused/Other” or “Always Move to Focused/Other” from the menu
3. Left click your selection
4. Your email should now be moved to either Focused or Other depending on what option you selected

Watch this video from Microsoft to see it in action!

How to turn your Focused Inbox on or off in Microsoft Outlook 2016

1. Open Outlook 2016
2. Click the View tab
3. Click the Show Focused Inbox button to select or unselect the option

How to turn your Focused Inbox on or off in Microsoft Outlook Mobile App

If you find Focused Inbox more confusing than helpful, here is how you can turn it off in the Outlook Mobile App:

1. Open the Outlook Web App
2. Sign In
3. Go to “Settings” and scroll down

• To change your notifications settings, go to “Settings” and tap on “Notifications”.
• To change your badge count settings, go to “Settings” and tap on “Badge Count”. (iOS)
• To turn off Focused Inbox, go to “Settings” and switch the Focused Inbox toggle on or off.

How to turn on or off Focused Inbox in the Outlook Apps for iOS and Android App

If you find Focused Inbox more confusing than helpful, here is how you can turn it on or off in Outlook for iOS or Android:

To stop the Outlook app from splitting your email inbox in two with Focused Inbox:

Outlook for iOS:

1. Go to the Settings tab in Outlook for iOS
2. Make sure Focused Inbox is turned off or on under Mail

Outlook for Android

1. Tap the Settings gear icon in Outlook for Android
2. Make sure Focused Inbox is turned off or on under Mail

Want more?  Check out our Microsoft Outlook Tips and Tricks for Better Email Productivity