Did the email preview in Reading Pane change with a recent New Outlook update?

Question

Whenever I switch to a new folder in New Outlook, in both web version and app version, the first email in the folder has always shown in the Reading Pane. However the last few weeks it's no longer showing automatically, instead I have to click the first email in the folder to have it appear in Reading Pane. This is working in Classic Outlook, however is n

Answer 1

Hi Leah,

A number of users have reported that Outlook no longer automatically selects the first message when they switch folders, causing the Reading Pane to display "Select an item to read" until a message is manually clicked.

I also tested this on my end and can confirm that the "Select** an item to **read" message appears in both New Outlook and Outlook on the web.

Currently, there is no user settings in New Outlook that restores the previous auto-selection behavior. Since the issue occurs in both the desktop app and Outlook on the web, it may be related to a recent service-side update.

However, if this behavior limits your workflow, I highly encourage you to your opinion with the product team by submitting feedback here: Outlook · Community. This is the most direct way for your request to be reviewed and considered for future enhancements.

Once you've submitted your feedback, feel free to share the link here in the comments. I’ll be happy to upvote it to help bring more visibility.  

Note: As Microsoft Community moderators, please note that we are not involved in product design decisions and do not have direct access to the development roadmap, we want to assure you that your feedback has been acknowledged and is valued.  

In the meantime, if you see my replies bring helpful information, please kindly accept it as an answer and vote it up by your original account, which raised this question. Once marked, it will automatically pin to top. As other users will also search information in this community, your valuable vote up will definitely also help other users who have similar queries easily to find the correct channel and useful information more quickly.   

I hope this provides enough clarity and helps you stay inform with your current situation.

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post so I can continue to support you.    

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