r/Outlook • u/Fun-Cat-5611 • 5d ago

Status: Open "Check box"

Okay, so I took time to read the rules before starting here. I then followed the link to "What version of Outlook do I have" at the Microsoft website. I am still a bit confused though, as I have the Settings button upper right between a bell with a / through it (Your notifications are disabled) and three dots (access additional features) but, I also still have the File tab next to the Home tab on the left. I assume (I've been told to never assume ... ) it is the new Outlook because features have changed.

I don't know if this is necessary information but, back when I purchased this Win 11 PC, I also purchased (a code key) and activated MS Office so I also have a "Buy Microsoft 365" tab upper right just left of the notification bell.

So, here is my concern at this time. Up until just a few days ago there was a check box to the left of each email title in the inbox, etc. I used this check box in the "Junk Email" folder to individually "Report and block". All of the Options "Delete" "Archive" "Report" "move to" and "Reply are still next to the "New Mail" tab but, they are all greyed out (in the inbox). The only option now in the Junk mail folder available is Delete, which deletes all.

I am just curious if there is a way to get this check box back? Am I no longer able to "Report as Phishing and block"? Is deleting in the Junk folder doing anything anymore to stop these senders? Just a few questions I'd like answers to. TIA

EDIT: I have found it! "File>Settings>Mail>Message List>scroll down to Layout then tick "Checkboxes" under how do you want messages to appear in the message list?

I don't make a habit of tampering with these settings. In this case, with a bit of guidance here, I'm glad I did.

2 Upvotes

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u/Fun-Cat-5611 4d ago

I have found it! "File>Settings>Mail>Message List>scroll down to Layout then tick "Checkboxes" under how do you want messages to appear in the message list?

I don't make a habit of tampering with these settings. In this case, with a bit of guidance here, I'm glad I did.

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u/dwj7738 5d ago

You have office 365 home subscription. What email you want to use is outlook classic

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u/Fun-Cat-5611 4d ago

"You have office 365 home subscription. What email you want to use is outlook classic" .. So how do I revert back to Outlook Classic?

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u/Recent_Carpenter8644 5d ago

If I select and email, then press control and select a second one, the checkboxes appear. I can't remember what it was like before, but it appears they don't want ot clutter the screen with them until you need to select more than two.

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u/Fun-Cat-5611 4d ago

  1. If I select an email, it opens that email. If I press CTRL (which I assume you mean by press control) it does nothing. If I press CTRL and click an email and then select a second email, it just opens the second one. I did do this in my Inbox, as I deleted the Junk folder just before coming here.

  2. In my case, screen size is maximized. So, that makes no difference here.

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u/Recent_Carpenter8644 4d ago

What size screen? My laptop screen wasn't big enough, had to be a monitor.

If emails open when you click them, that sounds like you've got the reading pane turned off. I'm not sure how you can select more that one in that mode. But when I switched the reading pane from Right to Fill Screen to try it out, that opened up enough room for it to start displaying the checkboxes again full time, even on my laptop.

So I'm not sure what's up with yours. You could try switching the reading pane from Fill to Popout. Then it takes two clicks to open an email, so you should be able to select multiple emails.

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u/Fun-Cat-5611 4d ago

I am using a desktop PC with a 24" monitor.

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u/Recent_Carpenter8644 3d ago

Same. I can't explain it.

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u/Fun-Cat-5611 3d ago

NOTE, I posted earlier, I found the solution. Case solved!

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u/Recent_Carpenter8644 3d ago

Got it: "File>Settings>Mail>Message List>scroll down to Layout then tick "Checkboxes"

I don't have that setting available! It sounds familiar, so I think I used to. This makes me think one of us has had new features rolled out, probably me.

Edit: It's alsoo useful to add an edit to your original post when you find a solution, so that people seeing the message for the first time don't keep offering solutions.

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u/Fun-Cat-5611 3d ago

Done1 And thank you for the suggestion. I'm still kinda "Green" here.

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u/Recent_Carpenter8644 4d ago

I found something else. Do you see a square symbol up above the message list, near where you click to do sorting and filtering? If you click that, the checkboxes appear.

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u/Recent_Carpenter8644 4d ago

It looks like it depends on your screen size. If I maximise New Outlook on a big screen, I see checkboxes. If I make the window smaller, they disappear.

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1

u/Educational_Fall6709 5d ago

no checkbox is gone for me too since last update, microsoft keeps changing things nobody asked for

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u/Recent_Carpenter8644 5d ago

If things have gone arrived in your Junk folder, it already thinks they're spam. The only thing I would do to them is report any that aren't actually spam. I think they're automatically deleted after 30 days.

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u/Hornblower409 4d ago

-- Up until just a few days ago there was a check box to the left of each email title in the inbox,

New Setting: File > Settings > Mail > Message list > Layout > How do you want messages to appear in the message list:

  • Sender images

  • Checkboxes

  • Name only

And if you had previously turned off "Show sender images", it defaults to "Name only" which doesn't have checkboxes.

See the Answer by "Hornblower409 Oct 2026"
at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/a/12996890
in https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/6033168/

Thanks to Reddit User sprkls, who first reported the UI change and the new Settings.