Why does Outlook keep adding (translate, speech, and other features I do no need to my toolbar)?

Question

It seems like almost every day, Outlook adds these features to my toolbar and I have to remove them to retain the full vie wo f my quick steps.

This is NOT HELPFUL. Once a feature has been removed by the user, it should not be automatically added back.

Can the Outlook developers rethink this and maybe change it to be less frustrating for users?

Answer 1

Dear @Mark F,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A forum.

I sincerely apologize for the frustration you've been experiencing with the New Outlook. I can understand how these unexpected changes to the Ribbon can be both annoying and disruptive, and I'm really sorry you've had to deal with this.
As a forum moderator, I genuinely wish I could directly access your account or delve into the backend systems to diagnose and fix this for you. However, our role here is limited to providing general guidance and solutions that can be applied by users.  

Based on your description, it seems that your issue may be related to a conflict between your local Ribbon Customizations and the "Connected Experiences" feature in the New Outlook. This feature sometimes refreshes the toolbar automatically to promote new or standard features, which may be causing the icons to reappear. This can happen especially when switching between different account types (such as from IMAP to Exchange).

I’d like to walk you through a couple of steps that should help address the problem. Please follow these instructions, and let me know how it goes. If you’re still having trouble after trying these steps, I’ll be more than happy to work with you to find a solution.

1: Disable "Optional Connected Experiences"

Microsoft treats features like Translate and Speech as "cloud-connected experiences." Disabling this can often stop the toolbar from "phoning home" and resetting its layout.

1. In Outlook, go to File > Settings
2. Under Privacy and data, click Privacy Settings.
3. Toggle off the setting for Turn on optional connected experiences.
4. Note: This may disable other cloud features like 3D models or some online help search, but it is the most effective way to stop automatic feature injection.

 

2: Custom Group

1. Click the three dots on the far right of your Ribbon and select Customize.
2. Add a new group and move your Quick Steps and any other preferred tools into it.
3. Review the other groups (like Speech or Language) and delete any that you don’t need.
4. Once you’ve customized it to your liking, click Save to lock in your changes.

I can't stress enough the importance of your feedback in this scenario. I strongly recommend that you share your detailed experience and feedback directly with the Microsoft product team through their official feedback channels. This is the most effective way to make your voice heard and influence future feature improvements and adjustments. 

You can visit the Outlook (new) · Community to submit a new feedback or vote on existing one.

Our product team is in charge of the site, and they constantly check customer reviews and feedback. The higher votes, the more attention the related team will pay, and a lot of the features are developed and improved based on customer feedback. As a moderator, I will also pass along your feedback to the appropriate team for further consideration. While I don't directly influence product design, user feedback is actively reviewed and helps prioritize future development.

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. Thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments so I can continue to support you. I'm looking forward to your reply.

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Answer 2

Outlook may automatically add features like translate and speech to your toolbar as part of its design to enhance user experience and provide quick access to new functionalities. However, this can be frustrating for users who prefer a cleaner interface or have no need for these features. Unfortunately, there is currently no option to globally prevent these features from being re-added once they are removed. Users typically need to manually remove them each time they appear.

Feedback regarding user interface changes is valuable, and it may be beneficial to share your experience with Microsoft through their feedback channels to encourage developers to consider user preferences in future updates.

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References:

• Outlook settings may unexpectedly change after administrator removes Group Policy settings that control some Outlook features
• Office add-ins are not displayed correctly in Outlook
• Add-ins are user re-enabled after being disabled by Office programs
• Uninstall add-ins under development
• Some instant messaging client features are not available in Outlook