How to navigate to next message in new Outlook?

Question

It seems Microsoft deleted the quick access toolbar from "New Outlook", so Next and Previous buttons are no longer available. After wasting 15 minutes trying to figure out how to enable these buttons I asked Copilot. Copilot's answer is to turn off "New Outlook". DONE!

Answer 1

Hi @Hughes, John,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum and for taking the time to share your experience.

I can certainly understand why this change feels disruptive, especially if you’ve relied on the Next and Previous buttons to move through emails quickly as part of your daily workflow.

In new Outlook for Windows, the Quick Access Toolbar isn’t currently available. As a result, the Next and Previous buttons that were present in classic Outlook no longer appear in the same way. While this can feel like a step backward, there are still a few built‑in options that allow you to navigate messages efficiently.

You can use the following keyboard shortcuts:

• Next message: Ctrl + >
• Previous message: Ctrl + <

If you have messages opened in separate windows, you can use:

• Next open message: Ctrl + .
• Previous open message: Ctrl + ,

Additionally, you can move through emails by using the Up and Down arrow keys to select the next or previous item in the message list.

If you’d like to explore more shortcuts, pressing ? will open the shortcuts panel, and Microsoft also provides a full reference here: Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook.

As for the reason behind this change, Microsoft is continuing to evolve the new Outlook and gradually align its feature set with classic Outlook. They actively track feature gaps and feedback, and the most effective way to influence future updates is by sharing your input directly. If the Quick Access Toolbar or the Next/Previous buttons in particular, are important to your workflow, you can visit the Outlook (new) · Community to submit a new idea or vote on existing one here: Quick Access Toolbar (New Outlook) · Community.

In the meantime, if those navigation controls are essential for your day‑to‑day work, switching back to classic Outlook is a valid option while these differences remain.

Note: As community moderators, we kindly ask for your understanding that our access to internal development details is limited. Our primary role is to guide users toward the appropriate resources and support channels. While we may not have influence product design decisions and have limited access to internal development details, we’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities. 

I hope the shortcuts above help restore faster navigation right away and thank you again for sharing your perspective.

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Answer 2

Delete New Outlook! Something is wrong if you are telling your customers to delete your new product and go back to the old one. I hope Microsoft is listening and figures out why customers don't use their new product.

Answer 3

Why did Microsoft delete the quick access toolbar?

Answer 4

In the new Outlook, the quick access toolbar has been removed, and the Next and Previous buttons are no longer available. Users can navigate messages using keyboard shortcuts, such as the arrow keys or by using the mouse to click on the next message in the list. If you prefer the classic experience, you may consider switching back to Classic Outlook.