Why does Outlook no longer show the original URL on hovering over a link in an email message?

Anonymous

Starting in 2019 sometime, Windows Outlook began showing the original URL on hovering over a link in an email message.

Before that, it had only shown the rewritten safelinks version, which is very difficult to read and not at all helpful to someone who's trying to check what's behind that link's display text.

This was a vast improvement, and these days it is essential to be able to quckly check links if people are to have a chance of avoiding phishing traps.

It's particularly important for those users (probably the majority) who wouldn't understand the safelinks URL, and might well assume it's safe because it's a microsoft.com link.

Sadly, though, some time within the last few months my Outlook 365 has reverted to showing the unreadable safelinks URL in both the hover popup and the status bar at the bottom of the Outlook window. I currently have Windows Outlook Version 2404 Build 16.0.17531.20152 Click-to-run.

The safelinks service is good, but there will always be malicious links that get past it, and people need to be able to decide whether or not to click on a link by seeing the actual URL it would go to, not simply assume that safelinks will take care of it.

Has anyone else noticed this?

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48 answers

Anonymous

2024-06-01T15:44:21+00:00

Using O365/MS Outlook desktop, when I hover over it shows the correct mail address
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Anonymous

2024-06-01T23:45:01+00:00

Using O365/MS Outlook desktop, when I hover over it shows the correct mail address

I've since discovered that it shows the original address on some messages, but not on others.

I don't see any pattern to this.
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Anonymous

2024-06-05T17:33:42+00:00

I must confirm that on last week updates of NEW Outlook hover link does not show real URL nowhere!!!

It is very DANGEROUS bug. We see that quality of new line Outlook is poor. Even version numbering is messy

and stochastic. If you will try to look for some release info on internet , you will find almost nothing! No Release notes

No visible signs that on background something upgraded.

I verified that version (from setting menu Setting/Common/About:

1.2024.512.200

20240517003.20

125.0.2535.79

Shows URL on mail body link hover

but

1.2024.529.200

20240524003.09

125.0.2535.79

does not! Even versioning is screwed UP in Windows application is showed different version!!!!

So disaster happened last week and if you not yet restarted Outlook, it will break after it.

All above is valid foe NEW Outlook. Old one still show bubles with link content! But MS warns us about deprecation!
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Anonymous

2024-06-05T17:44:36+00:00

The new Outlook in preview is horrible, but the worst is that we train users to hover over urls to see where they go and make decisions, because Defender allows so many phishing emails to be delivered.

This feature needs to be restored. The "Safelinks" concept is interesting, but doesn't solve the gap of "is this a good email? is this a good url to click?"
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Anonymous

2024-06-06T07:39:51+00:00

Just exactly same story, we started intensive trainig how to avoid phishing manually by link checking (very users unfriendly way) and few weeks later - this destructive change!

"Something is rotten in the state of Redmond". Which one f*king manager manages Outlook team? Poor results, but now very dangerous bug.
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