Disable Reading Pane

Question

All of a sudden, Reading Pane was turned on. I want it off but cannot find the place to do so.

I use Mac...Office 365....Microsoft 365...Comcast mail..... None of the options mentioned in 'help' sites appear on my PC.

Answer 1

Hello Carolyn Cornie, 

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A forum! I can understand how confusing it can be when settings change on their own, especially when the help articles you find online don't match what you are actually seeing on your screen. 

The reason the help sites haven't been useful is likely because those steps are written for the Windows version of Outlook. Since you are using a Mac, the layout and settings are located in different places. 

Here are the two best ways to do this on a Mac: 

Method 1: Mac Menu Bar 

1. Open Outlook and click any email to make the app active. 
2. In the Mac menu bar at the very top of your screen, click View. 
3. Hover over Reading Pane and select Hidden (or Off). 

Method 2: The Ribbon (Legacy Outlook) 

1. In the Outlook window, click the Organize tab. 
2. Click the Reading Pane icon in the ribbon. 
3. Select Hidden. 

I hope this helps you get your inbox back to the layout you prefer.  If you encounter any other issues in the future, feel free to come back to the forum.

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Answer 2

To turn off the Reading Pane, use the View settings for the Outlook experience in use.

For Outlook on the web / Outlook.com:

1. Select the View tab at the top.
2. Select Layout > Reading pane.
3. Choose Hide to turn the Reading Pane off.

For Outlook for Mac (Microsoft 365 desktop app):

1. On the menu bar, select Organize.
2. Select Reading Pane.
3. Choose Off.

If the menu bar is not visible on Mac, move the pointer to the top of the screen or exit full-screen mode so the menu bar appears, then use the steps above.

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References:

• Change the look of your mailbox in Outlook.com and Outlook on the web
• Customize views in Outlook for Mac
• Use and configure the Reading Pane to preview messages in Outlook