Outlook 365 delete key on keyboard deletes message rather than text when using Preview Pane feature

Anonymous
2020-07-16T16:45:09+00:00

Recently, when I am drafting an email from the preview pane, if I hit the delete key on my keyboard as I am typing, it will delete the entire message rather than the text I wish to delete. If you hit delete multiple times (as you would if you need to delete a few words) before you realize it the first delete button press deletes your current draft email, puts you back in your inbox. Each subsequent delete key press deletes emails from your inbox before you realize what is going on.

Only mitigation is to pop out the draft email and the delete keyboard function works as designed.

Is there a setting that was added recently for the above use case? This is horrible and pretty much negates the purpose of using the preview pane in Outlook as it was designed.

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Anonymous
2020-07-23T14:19:27+00:00

The Outlook Team had a bug with this issue previously.  It was fixed in version 16.0.13001.10000.  What version is your Outlook (File, Office Account, under About Outlook)?

If you have a version higher than above it should be fixed.  Its possible there is a new issue though if you are still seeing it.  In case you have the option to open a ticket click Help, Contact Support.  Not everyone has that but please check if you do.

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  1. Anonymous
    2020-07-22T21:58:54+00:00

    Same issue using the Outlook client on Windows 10.  It happens with replies to existing emails.  Terrible experience: I use Delete instead of Backspace a lot.

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  2. Anonymous
    2020-07-20T14:35:18+00:00

    I have the same issue.

    If I press Ctrl+r it opens up a reply in the preview pane.

    After writing some text, if I think scroll through it and select something with the cursors and hit the 'Delete' key - it deletes the email not the selection.

    This has just started happening to me today and I think it's after a version update.

    It's infuriating.

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-07-17T22:33:02+00:00

    Hi Pengchang Tang,

    Did you mean you met the phenomenon "The emails will be deleted If you hit Delete key after selected the message from preview pane."? If yes, actually, this is a shortcut for Outlook and not an issue. You can refer to the screenshot below:

    Regards,

    Joey

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  4. Anonymous
    2020-07-16T23:44:42+00:00

    Same issue here, it seems like a new experience in latest outlook.

    "The emails will be deleted If you hit Delete key after selected the message from preview pane."

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