Outlook (365) - mark item as read only AFTER I OPEN the item.

Anonymous
2023-08-23T23:38:26+00:00

PLEASE!!! Only answer this if you have completely UNDERSTOOD my question. I've seen countless threads here where people are asking the same question, but the reply they get is NOT the answer to their question.

Pay Attention!!

Microsoft 365 - Outlook (desktop or web) (NOTE: Not regular Outlook (which was wonderful and powerful), but the %^%$## product from M...365 which looks like it was written for little kids writing to their BFFs or for grandmas).

Mark an item as read ONLY AFTER YOU OPEN IT. Not previewed, but opened. Not replied to, but opened!

Do NOT try to tell me how to keep it from marking it read when I view it in the reading pane, or move selection, or after 5 seconds. I DON"T NEED THAT! Pay Attention!

I need a button (in microsoft 365 outlook) that says to mark as read when item is opened just like I had in the original program (that my office has forced me to get rid of in favor of this mess).

BTW - I tried to post a screenshot (as suggested above) but it doesn't work (surprise!!)

moved from: Outlook / Outlook.com / Settings

Outlook | Web | Outlook on the web for business | Settings

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.

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-02-26T12:31:15+00:00

    me too! so frustrating, thought i was going crazy!

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-03-19T08:09:05+00:00

    Hello all,

    Until today (19.03.2025) its impossible to set this setting.

    I've tried this on the newest (new) Outlook version.

    I've also tried to set different registry keys without any changes.

    The startup company who created the "new outlook" has somehow forgot to impliment minor features.

    Sorry for all,

    Schnittlauch

    EDIT:
    After I've created the Registry Key in the old Outlook folder and I've started (old) Outlook, I somehow get this option within (new) Outlook settings. I'm super done, don't know, if anyone can reproduce this(???)

    Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Preferences

    (Dword)PreviewDontMarkUntilChange = 0

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-03-25T17:13:44+00:00

    It's been almost two years since this question was asked and we STILL DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER. W H Y N O T ? ! ?

    This is STILL a problem, and now it's even worse. Even though I have checked the "Mark items as read when viewed in the reading Pane," now ALL my messages are being marked as read as soon as I open the first one, and just for funsies, IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE TO BE THE FIRST EMAIL AT THE TOP OF THE LIST (most recent). If I open an unread email that's five emails down in a list of 12 unread emails... they ALL become marked as read.

    MICROSOFT IS HOPELESSLY BROKEN, AND RUN BY PEOPLE WHO INSIST ON BREAKING IT FURTHER TO ENSURE THEIR OWN EMPLOYMENT, AND WHO f l a t o u t r e f u s e to ACTUALLY fix anything OR help its users to navigate this atrocious mess.

    Microsoft should NOT be the industry standard. It's laughable at best and a puts businesses at risk due to unmanageable communications at worst. Ya'll should be ashamed of yourselves.

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  4. Anonymous
    2025-03-25T17:23:30+00:00

    Ridiculous, can we please get at least acknowledgment @microsoft ?!?!

    Does anyone know how to tag them, get their attentions, as this is so obviously not monitored?

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  5. Anonymous
    2025-03-25T18:27:00+00:00

    "This is STILL a problem, and now it's even worse. Even though I have checked the "Mark items as read when viewed in the reading Pane," now ALL my messages are being marked as read as soon as I open the first one, and just for funsies, IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE TO BE THE FIRST EMAIL AT THE TOP OF THE LIST (most recent). If I open an unread email that's five emails down in a list of 12 unread emails... they ALL become marked as read."

    I have noticed this behaviour when you have Outlook set to "Conversation view" which I find the stupidest, most unintuitive, hardest to use and easiest to lose mails way of organising anything. Set it to display messages as they come in and this goes away, and so do a load of other issues. With one click you can always sort by subject to get all the mails in the thread grouped together again 🤷‍♂️

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