how to get new outlook to display total messages in folder (not just unread)

Question

how to get new outlook to display total messages in folder (not just unread)

Phil Giudice 25

is there a way to have "new" outlook display total messages in folder (not just unread) as a default setting?

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3 answers

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Answer 1

Bobby Lopez 20

Please get this feature added back to Outlook.
I was recently "forced" to start using the New Outlook and now need to figure out workarounds for multiple processes. Folder message count was how I grouped email tasks and blocked my calendar, now I must spend time hovering over each folder to see if there are email tasks that need to be completed, instead of a quick glance.

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Answer 2

Marc Vernon 9,460

Hi there, Phil! This is Marc. Thanks for reaching out to the community.

In the New Outlook, the message count in folders is currently set to show only unread messages by default, and unlike the classic Outlook, there’s no built-in option yet to switch it to display the total number of messages. This is a limitation of the New Outlook interface, as Microsoft is still working to bring feature parity with the classic version.

If seeing the total count is important for your workflow, the only workaround right now is to switch back to the classic Outlook, where you can right-click a folder, choose Properties, and select “Show total number of items.” Until Microsoft adds this capability to the New Outlook, classic mode is the only way to set it.

Hope this information helps.

Best regards,

Jones, Matthew 10 Reputation points

2025-11-11T21:56:11.0333333+00:00

Yet another reason to hate the new Outlook. Why did you have to break so many things that were working just fine?
Matt H 10 Reputation points

2026-02-12T13:44:21.9766667+00:00

It is insane that they haven't added this feature yet, seems like a no-brainer. I use this to organize action items for a quick glance of how many pending/open requests I have sorted to a specific folder. After switching to the "New" Outlook, it makes me feel less informed.
Vexen Crabtree 0 Reputation points

2026-02-28T23:23:41.8133333+00:00

That's not the only workaround. Although it's rubbish compared to having the actual [4] number where you can see it at a glance, you can also hover your mouse over any folder, and the tooltip will tell you total emails, plus unread-email count.
Bobby Lopez 20 Reputation points

2026-03-24T02:21:57.0433333+00:00

Please get this feature added back to Outlook. I was recently "forced" to start using the New Outlook and now need to figure out workarounds for multiple processes. Folder message count was how I grouped email tasks and blocked my calendar, now I must spend time hovering over each folder to see if there are email tasks that need to be completed, instead of a quick glance.

Answer 3

Hornblower409 14,420

Not a fix (sorry). All I can suggest is that you vote for and comment on this Feature Request:

Bring back option to show number of items in a folder in new Outlook!!
https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/idea/0b6e049b-90bd-ef11-95f6-0022484d7a88

(You must "Sign In" at the top right of the Feedback page before you can vote).

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