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Today my desktop Outlook application was updated and a new "App Bar" was moved to the left of the screen, previously it was located under my folders list with small icons and took up zero screen real estate, not so anymore.
Now it appears as a full screen height column with medium sized icons to the left of Outlook and it takes up way too much screen real estate, on my screen only about 15% of it can be even used with "app" icons pinned to it, the rest is just grey wasted space that takes away from the main job of Outlook reading/writing emails.
Is there a way to move this app bar, remove it, or at least minimise it to somewhere that doesn't use up so much space.
What's the reason for Microsoft to try and replicate a poor version of the Windows Start Menu within Outlook, one that's only limited to 3 Microsoft apps, I don't get this and would really like Microsoft to stop messing with UI, Windows 11 taskbar ahem.
Regards, LK
Using Classic Outlook on Windows for personal email, calendar, and contact management
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
I went to:
File>Options>Advanced>Checkbox titled "Show Apps in Outlook"
After you uncheck and then click "OK" outlook will require a restart to make the change. After restart the "Apps Bar" returns to the pervious location below the folders.
I had read elsewhere that the new 'feature' had landed after a period in 'coming soon' and was no longer optional/configurable, but tried the safe mode option with high hopes. Sadly it's just defaulted my view settings and the new App Bar is still down the entire side of my main screen just to show me the same 3 buttons that used to hang out at the bottom of the folder list quite unobtrusively.
I have seen other screenshots with other Office apps shown in the App Bar and making better use of the space annexed, and while that's completely redundant in my use case because my particular copy of Windows comes with a 'task bar' where these applications can already be accessed, my main concern is just that yet again a design that is to the detriment of most of the people I know is not configurable and is being forced on users to suit the plans of UI strategists and evangelists.
One day you open your Outlook to do some work and the controls are not where they were for the previous forever, it's like an anti-Christmas has landed. Hope something useful happens with this area of screen in the not too distant future if it's going to be taking up so much space, just glad I'm on a high DPI screen rather than a tablet/travel laptop etc or it would be a criminal misuse of such precious screen space.
Hopefully someone publishes a registry key where the change can be reverted but presume as it's a part of a grand plan that it's going to be forced eventually and we might as well 'learn to love' the new 'feature' sooner rather than later.
Hi Lcur_wk,
Thank you for posting. May I know which Outlook client version you are using, please provide us with the detailed screenshot information about this, see About Office: What version of Office am I using?
Do you see the "Coming Soon" feature in Outlook?
However, I have notice that some users have move Navigation Pane back to the bottom via opening Outlook in safe mode and then reopened normal mode Outlook.
To start Outlook in safe mode.
1.Choose Start > Run.
2.Type Outlook /safe, and choose OK.
3.Closed the "Safe Outlook"
4.Reopened normal Outlook
Your patience and cooperation will be highly appreciated.
Best regards,
Shyamal
Hi Lcur_wk,
Thank you for posting. May I know which Outlook client version you are using, please provide us with the detailed screenshot information about this, see About Office: What version of Office am I using?
Do you see the "Coming Soon" feature in Outlook?
However, I have notice that some users have move Navigation Pane back to the bottom via opening Outlook in safe mode and then reopened normal mode Outlook.
To start Outlook in safe mode.
1.Choose Start > Run.
2.Type Outlook /safe, and choose OK.
3.Closed the "Safe Outlook"
4.Reopened normal Outlook
Your patience and cooperation will be highly appreciated.
Best regards,
Shyamal
This worked for me. When I got to step #4, the app bar returned to be in the proper position in the lower left corner ONLY, of Outlook.
Any tab except File above the ribbon.