Microsoft Outlook: Manage your 'Focused' and 'Other' Inbox Folders

Description

Microsoft has a feature called Focused Inbox where it separates your inbox into two tabs — Focused and Other. Your most important emails are on the Focused tab while the rest remain easily accessible — but out of the way — in the Other tab. You’ll be informed about email flowing to Other, and you can switch between tabs at any time to take a quick look.

Focused Inbox works with you to prioritize what's most important. What lands in Focused Inbox is based on the content of the email (e.g., newsletters, machine-generated email, and so on) and who you interact with most often. 

When looking for emails, check both tabs to make sure that you are seeing all of your incoming emails.

More Information

• If you need to fine-tune your Focused Inbox, Move to Focused and Move to Other options are available to do that.

Resolution/Troubleshooting

Option 1: Move emails in between Focused/Other inbox

For desktop users:

• Go the "Other folder"
• Open the email from the sender you want to go to the 'focused' inbox
• Click on "Move to" in the menu at the top
• Select and click on "Always move to Focused inbox."
• Tip: Check the 'Other' tab from time to time to make sure you don’t miss any other important emails.

For Outlook mobile app users:

• Go to the 'Other' tab.
• Open the email from the sender you want to go to the 'focused' inbox
• Tap the overflow icon (three dots icon), and select "Move to Focused Inbox"
• Select "Always Move"
  • Note: The app will take a day or so to learn that this sender should be delivered to the 'Focused' inbox

Option 2: Turn on/off Focused Inbox

Disable Focused Inbox:

1. Go to the "View" tab
2. Deselect "Show Focused Inbox"
   • The 'Focused' and 'Other' tabs will no longer be visible at the top of your mailbox.
3. Go to "Settings" 
4. Select "Display settings"
5. Click on "Focused Inbox"
6. Under "When email is received", select "Don’t sort messages"
7. Click Okay

Enable Focused Inbox:

1. Go to the "View" tab
2. Select "Show Focused Inbox"
   • The 'Focused' and 'Other' tabs will on be visible at the top of your mailbox.