Would it be possible to fix Outlook?

Ian Brooke 1 Reputation point
2026-07-24T14:33:48.0966667+00:00

Outlook has one awful feature, it has two lists of contacts, one visible and easily edited and one hidden. It needs to get rid of the hidden one, I change a contacts email in the visible list but when I come to create an email to that person the address still offers the old one. I have contacts with 4 or more addresses most of which are no longer used. It's VERY confusing and error prone and I cannot see any practical use for it.

Outlook | Windows | New Outlook for Windows | For home

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  1. Hornblower409 12,155 Reputation points
    2026-07-25T22:55:27.3533333+00:00

    There is a Feature Request that you can Vote for to revert this change.

    Return ability to delete individual Suggested People/Autocomplete suggestions for email recipients

    (You must "Sign In" at the top right of the Feedback page before you can vote).
    https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/idea/97490d3b-7d45-f111-9a91-000d3a05c4f5

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  2. IGYQ 21,360 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-07-25T14:00:12.4966667+00:00

    This would not be existing using the New Outlook. If you can go to Classic Outlook and check again File → Options → Mail → Send messages → Use Auto-Complete List you might see the settings there.

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  3. Hornblower409 12,155 Reputation points
    2026-07-25T04:29:57.4633333+00:00

    @Ian Brooke said

    needs to get rid of the hidden [Contacts]

    In New Outlook for Windows the "hidden" Contacts are your Suggested People/Autocomplete List.

    See the Answer by "Hornblower409 May 1 2026" - "How to convert your Autocomplete List to Contacts and erase the List" at
    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5871874/manually-removing-an-email-address-from-the-sugges?orderby=newest&page=1#answers

    a way for me to configure it not to use this second list?

    Yes. After you do Step "D - Erase your Autocomplete List" just don't turn Suggested People back ON again.

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  4. IGYQ 21,360 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-07-24T15:30:10.9633333+00:00

    Hi!

    Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

    What you're seeing is actually two different address sources in Outlook:

    • Contacts – the people you intentionally save and edit.
    • AutoComplete cache (suggested contacts/recent recipients) – a hidden list of email addresses

    If you believe Outlook should automatically update or remove cached addresses when a contact is edited, that's a reasonable feature request. You can actually provide and submit a feedback regards with this Outlook flaw.

    You can submit it through:

    • Outlook: Help → Feedback → Suggest a feature, or
    • The Feedback Hub app in Windows by Pressing Win + F

    To answer your question regarding not to configure the second list. If you're using Classic Outlook for Windows

    You can check and follow these settings:

    1. Open File > Options.
    2. Select Mail.
    3. Scroll down to the Send messages section.
    4. Uncheck: Use Auto-Complete List to suggest names when typing in the To, Cc, and Bcc lines
    5. Click OK and you may test again if the second list still shows up

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