How To Change Inbox View in Outlook 2024 Guide

It is normal for users to get bored of the default theme or view of a specific application they use day and night. The brain always wants to try something different, which is why some users wonder if there’s any way to change the inbox view in Outlook. Changing the inbox view can spice things up a little and make your email time more bearable.

Our productivity will rise if we launch Outlook with the Outlook inbox configured precisely the way we want it. Because they are aware of this, Microsoft has given us the ability to completely personalize the inbox view.

In this article, I will walk you through everything you need to know regarding changing your inbox view to make it look more attractive. Everything has been covered in this article, from choosing an Inbox view from existing views to creating a new view. So, stick with me till the end, and you’ll have full control over your Outlook’s inbox view.

Without wasting any more time, let’s head right into it.

Contents

How to Switch Outlook’s Inbox View from an Existing View

Since every person has a distinct aesthetic preference, Outlook allows us to customize how we organize our emails.

Three inbox views are already set up in Outlook. The reading window and message list are included in the compact view, which is the default setting. This view particularly modifies the message list’s layout.

The message list and reading pane are also included in the Single view. It gives further details about an email that was pulled from the message list. Additionally, widescreens benefit from this view.

Similar to the single view, the preview view also displays more information about emails in the message list, but it also disables the reading pane.

The following are the steps to change your Inbox view using an existing view:

First of all, launch Outlook.
Next, find your way to the View tab.
Using the toolbar, you’ll have to select Change View from the Current View group.
Next, you’ll have to select the view you prefer. You’ll have three preferences available, which are Compact, Single, and Preview.

By selecting your preferred view, you can change the Inbox view of your Outlook as desired.

How to Customize Outlook’s Inbox View by Creating a New View

You may always create your own views if you don’t concur with Outlook. What type of inbox view you want to create is up to you.

The following view kinds are available in Outlook:

Table: Emails are shown as a table with rows and columns. It is suitable for email viewing.
Timeline: It displays your emails in relation to a predetermined timeline.
People: It just displays your contacts’ names and photos from your contact list.
Icon: It displays the subjects and icons for your items.
Card: it is often used for people. For your contacts, it features a nice user interface.
Business cards: Business cards are also used as contact information. You only see the contacts with information in this type of display.
Day/Week/Month: It’s appropriate for Calendar folders.

To create a new view and alter the inbox view, follow these steps:

Find your way to the View tab.
Next, navigate to Change View and then go to Manage Views.
Click on New to create a new view.
Choose a name for your view under the Name of new view.
Choose the type of view you desire from the list of available views.
After selecting the type of view you want, press the OK button. And a fresh perspective will emerge.

Following these actions, Advanced View Settings will appear, giving you the ability to modify your newly generated view with choices like Columns, Group By, Sort, Filter, etc. In the parts that follow, I’ve discussed these choices.

Changing Outlook’s Inbox View by Adding Columns to the View

We’ll adjust the view you just made using these parts in the Advanced View Settings box.

Here’s how to modify the inbox view by including columns in it:

Launch the window for Advanced View Settings.
Next, go ahead and click the Column button.
Select the maximum number of lines in compact mode from the drop-down menu.
To choose which columns to display in the left list, use the Select available columns from the drop-down menu.
From the list of available columns, choose the fields you wish to include in your new view. After clicking Add, the selected field will appear in your new view.
The fields you choose from the Show these columns in this order option to remove from your view will be deleted when you click Remove.
Use the Move Up and Down buttons to reposition the newly added fields.
When you’re done sorting the fields, click OK.

Changing Outlook’s Inbox View by Grouping Items in the View

Next, we have the Group By option in the Advanced View Settings.

Here’s how to group items in the display to alter the inbox view:

Launch the window for Advanced View Settings.
Select Group By by clicking it.
Uncheck If you wish to change the group items, automatically group according to the arrangement.
From the drop-down menu under Group items by, choose the field you wish to include in the group. Four fields maximum can be grouped.
To choose your other group items, use the other 3 drop-down menus.
Sort your grouped objects using ascending and descending order.
When you’re finished grouping fields, click OK.

Changing Outlook’s Inbox View by Altering the View’s Default Sort Order

The Sort option in the Advanced View Settings is the next on the list. A field can contain up to 4 items for you to sift through. This option will enable you to change the default sort order if you don’t like it.

The steps to modify the inbox view by altering the default sort order are as follows:

Select the Sort button in the Advanced View Settings window.
From the drop-down menu under “Select available fields from,” select the group of fields you want to sort.
From the drop-down list under Sort Items by, choose the categories you wish to order the fields by.
To further customize the fields’ ordering, use the other 3 drop-down menus.
Sort in the order you choose by using Ascending and Descending orders.
When you have finished sorting, click OK.

Changing Outlook’s Inbox View by Filtering the Items Displayed in the View

We have the Filter option in the Advanced View Settings, which modifies the inbox view by filtering the view’s available items.

These tabs are available in the filter option:

You may choose the filtering method using standard email fields with the aid of the Message tab.
You may choose a filtering option using predefined categories, message statuses, and other unique information with the help of the More Choices menu.
You may choose any accessible field to use as a filter by selecting it on the Advanced tab. Choose the condition you wish to use for filtering from the drop-down option under condition and enter the appropriate value.
Using the Structured Query Language (SQL) tab, you may create your own statement to specify which items should appear.

Changing the inbox view by filtering the things displayed in the view may be done as follows:

Click Filter under Advanced View Settings.
Choose the tab that will serve as the filtering criteria.
Once you have finished entering the filtering information, click OK.

Changing Outlook’s Inbox View by Modifying the Appearance of the Items in the View

The next button in the Advanced View Settings is the Other Settings button, which modifies how the items seem in the inbox view.

The steps for altering the inbox view’s look are as follows:

Select Other Settings from the Advanced View Settings menu.
Select Column Font and Raw Font and choose the font family, style, and size that you desire.
To accept the modifications, click OK.

Changing Outlook’s Inbox View by Altering the Appearance of Items in the View with a Condition

The Conditional formatting button, located in the Advanced View Settings, is used to create rules for formatting items in the inbox view. Certain regulations are currently in place, but you may also make your own.

Here’s how to modify the inbox view’s design by altering the way items display in the view using a condition:

From the Advanced View Settings, choose Conditional Formatting.
Look for the rules that suit your point of view.
To add a new rule, press the Add button.
Choose the font family, style, and size for the rule’s name before writing it.
If you wish to provide a condition for your rule, choose Condition.
When you have finished putting up your formatting criteria, click OK.

Changing Outlook’s Inbox View by Modifying the Formation of Columns in a Table View

The Format Columns option is the final way to modify a freshly formed view in the Advanced View Settings. For a Table base view, it is used to provide a format for the fields in your view.

Here’s how to alter the layout of the columns in a table view to alter the appearance of the inbox view:

From the Advanced View Settings, choose Format Columns.
Choose the name of the field you wish to change from the list of available fields.
From the Format Columns window’s right side, modify its properties.
Once you’re done, press OK.

Changing Outlook’s Inbox View by Saving and Applying Your Advanced View Settings

All that’s left to do is choose your newly generated view from the Change View option and save all the adjustments you’ve made in the Advanced View Settings.

The steps to save and pick your view are as follows:

When you are finished making all the adjustments, click OK in the Advanced View Settings window.
Your new view will be used when you click the Apply View button after selecting the newly generated view in the Manage All Views box.

How to Delete Outlook’s Custom Mailbox Views

You don’t have to worry if you screw up a view you’ve created or decide you’ve had enough of it since you can just erase the view.

Remember that you may only delete views that you have created; default views that were installed cannot be removed.

Here is how to remove a personalized inbox view:

Open the Outlook app on your device.
Find your way to the View tab.
Select Manage Views from the Change View menu in Outlook.
Click the Delete button after selecting the view you wish to remove.
When a pop-up window appears and asks, you must be certain you want to delete the view. Your choice will be validated, and the view will be blocked.

How to Reset Outlook’s Inbox View to Default

You may simply reset everything to the default view if you accidentally modified certain settings in Outlook and are having problems locating the choices to restore them.

Here’s how to restore the default inbox view:

Using Windows Run Program

Exit the Outlook application.
Launch the Run application by pressing Windows + R, or choose Run from the context menu by right-clicking the Windows icon.
When prompted, enter outlook.exe /cleanviews and press OK.
Following these actions, Outlook will restart with the default view.

Using the Outlook Application

Select the View tab.
The Advanced View Settings box will display after clicking View Settings.
To carry out the reset, choose Reset Current View and then press Yes.

FAQs

How do I get my Outlook back to normal?

Outlook will return to its default state when you right-click the Windows icon and select Run, type outlook.exe/cleanviews, and then click OK.

How do I change the view of my emails in Outlook?

Navigate to View > Change View > Manage View in Outlook to alter the view. After choosing your preferred view, click OK.

Why has my Outlook email layout changed?

You may have made an error and modified something, which caused your Outlook layout to change. Press Windows+R, type outlook.exe/cleanviews, then click OK to return to the default layout.

Wrapping It Up

Outlook has a lot of customization to offer, so users don’t get bored of using the app each day. By customizing your Outlook inbox, you can change the layout and make things interesting from time to time. You can choose between default layouts, or you may even create your own personal layout. Everything is up to you.

This in-depth article provides every detail you’ll need to customize your Outlook inbox view. Follow each step carefully to get the desired results. Hopefully, this article will have been helpful to you. We wish you all the best.