in outlook how can I move the inbox to the be top of the list of folders?

Question

In MS Outlook, I have tried dragging the inbox to the top of the list of folders, however within 1 minute the inbox drops back to mid-way down the list? Is there a method to pin the inbox to the top of the list?

Answer 1

Dear @David,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A forum.
I understand you're experiencing an unexpected issue with New Outlook, and I appreciate you bringing it to our attention. As a forum moderator, I wish I could directly access your account or investigate the backend to resolve this. Unfortunately, our role is limited to offering general guidance and solutions that users can apply themselves.

I attempted to replicate the issue on my end, but I was able to navigate up and down the inbox folder without it reverting back to the middle of the list. That said, I suggest trying the following steps to see if they resolve the issue:

1.Adjust folder sorting settings:

• Go to View > Folder pane > Sort folders > Custom folder order.
• Then try dragging your Inbox folder to the top of your folder list again and see if it still shifts back down.

2.Right-click on the Inbox folder and select "Move Up" until it reaches the top of your list.

3.Add Inbox to Favorites:

• Right-click on the Inbox folder and choose "Add to Favorites."
• Ensure Favorites is visible: Go to View > Folder pane > Favorites > Show favorites and Pin favorites.
• The Favorites section appears above your individual account folders, and you can drag and drop folders within Favorites to reorder them. Outlook will remember the position permanently.

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.

---

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it.

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread. 

Answer 2

The easiest workaround is probably to add the Inbox to the Favorites list, as has already been suggested by Kai-L.

Answer 3

In new Outlook for Windows, folders themselves cannot be “pinned” to the top of the main folder list. The folder list is ordered by account and folder type, and Outlook will automatically revert that order, which is why dragging Inbox does not persist.

To keep Inbox effectively at the top for quick access, use Favorites instead of trying to move the physical folder:

1. In the folder pane, right‑click the Inbox folder.
2. Select Add to Favorites.
3. Ensure Favorites is visible:
   • Go to View > Folder pane > Show favorites.
   • Optionally select Pin favorites so the Favorites section stays visible while scrolling.

Inbox will now appear at the top of the Favorites section, which is designed for this “pinned” behavior, while the main folder tree remains in its default order.

---

References:

• Use Favorites in Outlook