Why does my new Outlook look like classic outlook?

Question

Pretty much exactly what the title says. I have new outlook toggled on. However the appearance and ui has not changed at all. I have the new outlook features like pinning emails and such so i know its working.

Answer 1

Hi @Nathan Steele,  

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum. 

Thank you for reaching out regarding the visual alignment of your Outlook application. To ensure I provide the most accurate guidance and verify that the environment is correctly configured for the new Outlook experience, could you please share a screenshot of the following? 

• The Windows Start menu search results: Please search for “Outlook” to see if both “Outlook (new)” and “Classic Outlook for Windows” appear as separate entries. 
• The Outlook Header: A capture of the top-right corner of your Outlook window, specifically where the toggle switch to change experiences is located. 

Privacy Note: For your security, please ensure you blur or redact your email address, organization name, and any other sensitive personal information visible in the images before sending them over. 

While we verify these details, you may wish to try the following steps to see if the modern UI initializes: 

• Side-by-side comparison: try pinning both versions to your taskbar and launching them simultaneously. This will help confirm which specific application is currently active. 
• Ribbon configuration: Sometimes the interface defaults to a legacy look. Click the downward chevron (v) or the three dots (...) on the far right of the top menu and select Simplified Ribbon to trigger the modern layout. 
• App repair: If the features are active but the UI remains unchanged, go to Windows Settings > Apps > Installed Apps, find Outlook (new), select Advanced options, and click Repair. 

Please let me know the results of these steps or provide the requested screenshots at your convenience so I can further assist you. 

Looking forward to your response.

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Answer 2

New Outlook for Windows intentionally keeps a very similar layout to classic Outlook, especially after importing classic settings, so the UI can look almost identical.

The main differences are in features and branding (for example, the app name “Outlook (new)” vs “Outlook (classic)”, the toggle in the upper-right, and settings layout), not a completely redesigned interface. Since pinning, Focused Inbox, and other new features work, the new Outlook is active even if the visual change appears minimal.

If a more obvious distinction is needed, run both apps side‑by‑side and pin both icons (“Outlook (new)” and “Outlook (classic)”) to the taskbar or Start, then compare behavior and settings.

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References:

• Run new Outlook and classic Outlook side-by-side
• Getting started with the new Outlook for Windows
• Switch to new Outlook for Windows
• Change how the message list is displayed in Outlook