How to keep categories in my inbox collapsed by default in the NEW Outlook?

Question

I use categories to keep my inbox organized and can have hundreds of emails at any given moment categorized by task and project. In the OLD outlook, when I navigated out of my inbox and then came back, my categories would be collapsed by default. Now, in the NEW outlook, when I leave my inbox, the categories default to all OPEN when I return and I have to manually close each. I can't find the setting for them to remain in the collapsed view. In the OLD outlook, the steps were:

1. Go to the View tab in the top menu.
2. Click on View Settings.
3. In the Advanced View Settings dialog box, select Group By.
4. In the Group By dialog, locate the Expand/collapse defaults dropdown menu.
5. Choose All collapse to ensure all categories are closed by default.
6. Click OK to save the settings and close the dialog boxes.

Are there settings in the NEW outlook to fix this?

Thank you!

Answer 1

Dear @Lydia Rennie,

Good day, and I appreciate the clear explanation of your concern. From my research, the Expand/collapse defaults setting available in classic Outlook (All collapsed or As last viewed) is unfortunately not available in the new Outlook. You’re certainly not alone in this, many users who manage large volumes of categorized email have shared the same concern, particularly the need to re‑collapse categories every time they return to the Inbox.

At this time, the available options are:

• Manual collapse: You can click the arrow next to each category header to collapse it, but there is currently no “Collapse all” option for categories in the new Outlook.
• Switching back to classic Outlook (best fit for your scenario): Using the New Outlook toggle in the top‑right corner allows you to return to the classic desktop version, where your preferred category collapse behavior is still supported.
• Layout settings in new Outlook: While message grouping options are available under Settings > Mail > Layout, there is no equivalent control for category expand/collapse defaults.

I can’t emphasize enough how important your feedback is in this situation. 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 idea or vote on existing one here: To be able to Expand/collapse all Categories easily. · Community.

Microsoft product team is in charge of this site, and they constantly check customer reviews and feedback. The higher the number of votes, the more attention the team will pay to it. Many 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 we don't directly influence product design, user feedback is actively reviewed and helps prioritize future development. If you’re unable to submit feedback yourself, please feel free to reach out to me, and I’ll be happy to submit it on your behalf. 

I really understand how convenient this feature would be for your workflow. I want you to know that I wish I had a way to change it for you directly but as a moderator of Q&A forum, my ability to assist is with the existing product functionality and the power to influence its design rests entirely with Microsoft product development team. Thank you for your understanding as Outlook continues to evolve, and please feel free to reach out if you have any other questions. Wishing you a great day.

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Answer 2

New Outlook for Windows does not expose the classic “Expand/collapse defaults → All collapse” setting.

The documented expand/collapse defaults option exists only in Classic Outlook’s advanced view settings. In New Outlook, layout options are limited to items such as Focused Inbox, reading pane appearance, and general message list formatting, and there is no equivalent control for keeping grouped categories collapsed by default when returning to the Inbox.

Because of this, categories in New Outlook cannot currently be configured to stay collapsed automatically; groups must be collapsed manually each time.

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References:

• Change how the message list is displayed in Outlook
• Group or ungroup messages in your Inbox
• All, Unread and other filtering options no longer show in Outlook