Outlook usability issue: persistent filter settings

Question

The filter in Outlook gets reset to "All" again and again. How can I tell Outlook to stay focused and show only the unread EMails, until I explicitly set the filter back to All?

Answer 1

Hello Harald Dunkel

Thank you for reaching out.

From the category you selected, it seems you are experiencing an issue where the "Unread" filter in Outlook on the web does not persist. This behavior is expected because the web version dynamically refreshes and does not retain filter settings when switching folders, refreshing the page, or signing in again. Unlike the desktop version, where custom views can be saved, there is currently no built-in option to make the unread filter stay active permanently.

Instead of filtering the Inbox each time, you can use a dedicated "Unread Mail" folder that always displays only unread messages across all mail folders.

1. Open Outlook.
2. In the Folder Pane, right-click on Search Folders (at the bottom of your mailbox).
3. Select Create New Search Folder.
4. In the New Search Folder window, select Unread Mail.
5. Click OK.
6. This new Unread Mail folder will now always show only unread emails, regardless of which folder they are in.

If a persistent unread filter would improve your workflow, I encourage you to submit feedback to Microsoft. Your feedback is incredibly important to the product development team as they strive to continuously improve the product and provide the best experience for users.

Therefore, Microsoft recommends sending feedbackby going to Ideas · Community (microsoft.com)

Please note that, this community team and the Microsoft product development team are independent. Therefore, for feature suggestions or design queries, users should send feedback to the Microsoft product design team on their end. Once a user submits feedback through the above means, it will be sent directly to Microsoft and routed to the appropriate product team so that it can review it for specific developments in product services.

To learn more about how to provide feedback and how your input contributes to future product design, see this article. Learn about how to provide feedback to Microsoft - Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn

I would really appreciate your valuable time. Thank you again for your understanding and cooperation!