Separate email received from favorites

Question

Separate email received from favorites

Cynthia Blalock 0

separate email received from Favorite contacts from email received from other contacts, as it was until recently

Cynthia Blalock 0 Reputation points

2025-07-14T04:42:27.4466667+00:00

Outlook changed the way email from favorite contacts is separated into column 1 and no longer flags them

2 answers

Your answer

Cynthia Blalock 0 Reputation points

2025-07-14T04:42:27.4466667+00:00

Outlook changed the way email from favorite contacts is separated into column 1 and no longer flags them

Answer 1

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Answer 2

AlexDN 11,440 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi Cynthia Blalock

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum. Before giving you the best solution, could you please confirm these questions below to help me diagnose the issue more effectively:

To better assistance, could you please confirm detail below:

Are you using Classic Outlook, the New Outlook for Windows, or the Outlook Web App?
Did this change happen after a recent update or switch to a new Outlook version?
Are you referring to the Favorites section in the folder list, or how emails from favorite contacts appear in the inbox?

In the meantime, I recommend some steps below you can try:

Using Conditional formatting
You can highlight emails from favorite contacts by going to View => View Settings => Conditional Formatting. Create a rule that changes the font or color for emails from specific people.
Creating a Search folder
Go to Folder => New Search Folder, choose “Mail from specific people,” and select your favorite contacts. This will keep their emails in one place.
Pinning or Flagging messages manually
In the New Outlook, you can pin important emails to the top of your inbox or flag them for follow-up.
Checking Column settings
If you’re missing the old column layout, go to View => Change View => Single or Preview, then use View Settings => Columns to customize what you see.

Note: Please understand that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.

Your detailed response will help us diagnose and investigate the issue more efficiently. If I misunderstood what you’re looking for, feel free to let me know or share a screenshot. I’d be happy to help further!

I'm looking forward for your reply.

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AlexDN 11,440 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-07-21T00:09:36.1+00:00

Hi @Cynthia Blalock
It has been a while and I am writing to see how things are going with this issue. Have you had a chance to check the replies provided? Any update would be appreciated.
Cynthia Blalock 0 Reputation points

2026-08-01T06:18:57.5233333+00:00

Essentially, these random changes have cost me $100's thousands in missed business opportunities. Outlook is supposed to be a business communication tool, however, about 2 times per year MS seems to feel the need for a change and they modify it to the point that there is no longer a work around. But I am relieved to know people have so much time on their hands that they can create search categories.

Why is my time of so little VALUE that I have to search for my favorites, when they used to appear at the top of the email box until I move them to a dedicated folder.?

Essentially, instead of being an efficient method to stay on top of my most important professional communication, (I found one critical one this week 8 months later.) I have to sort through all the junk first.

Essentially your "response" made my PROFESSIONAL EMAIL more complicated. I say that because, until a couple of years ago I used gmail. It's not very sophisticated but it worked. I was thrilled when I got outlook because I could see the most important emails from colleagues, whom I labeled favorites, immediately.

In NONE of the outlooks I cannot see favorite email, even though I spent hours building a work around.

I have to look through all the marketing, substack, and other non-essential emails to find "my favorites". that are no longer labeled favorites nor found at the top of the stack.

Areven
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Hornblower409 12,060 Reputation points

2026-08-02T07:04:29.53+00:00

@Cynthia Blalock said

In NONE of the outlooks I cannot see favorite email ... nor found at the top of the stack

Are you talking about something that looks like this? Where I have added a Contact (AG409 OLK) to my Email Nav Pane Favorites? And if I click on that Favorite, it shows me all the mail from that person?