New Outlook grouping messages, settings specify 'Do Not Group Messages'

Question

New Outlook grouping messages, settings specify 'Do Not Group Messages'

Ed Wolfgang 35

In New Outlook Settings => Mail, under Message Organization, I specify 'Do Not Group Messages', but they do get grouped. I do not want message grouping.

Chris Fulton 5 Reputation points

2026-03-12T01:15:24.2466667+00:00

Turning the group off only seems to work for the date. When you sort your messages by name or subject, the messages becomes grouped. How do you turn off all grouping?
Tom 0 Reputation points

2026-03-18T17:57:58.38+00:00

Got it.
Ian 0 Reputation points

2026-06-06T02:18:56.77+00:00

This is INFURIATING! Why are emails broken into groups by sender and separated by a toggle bar??? This is horrible UX. How do you turn this off? I have tried ungrouping conversations, etc etc. This only goes away when sorting by date, even then the emails are separated by a "yesterday" toggle bar.

This is especially frustrating when trying to get rid of spam emails and the like. Someone needs to fix this oversight immediately.
Greg Ussher 0 Reputation points

2026-06-14T23:40:20.7533333+00:00

I followed these instructions, and Grouping still persists.
Everyone I know is frustrated by this, as many of us who have been using Outlook for decades are struggling to browse Grouped mail and find older messages. Also, Subject is not always a good basis for grouping a conversation as people change Subject or reuse the same words in different context.
Hornblower409 14,815 Reputation points

2026-06-15T02:57:12.79+00:00

@Greg Ussher said

I followed these instructions, and Grouping still persists.

If you using New Outlook for Windows and Sort by almost anything except Date it will automatically Group and there is no way to turn it off.

If this is not your problem, or you are not using New Outlook, you need to start a new thread using the "Ask a question" button at the top of this page to create a new Question and include the details for your specific problem. This provides much higher visibility to your issue than commenting on an old post, which is only seen by people who are already following this question. (You can put the link for this page in your new Question for reference)
Kun Kim 0 Reputation points

2026-07-16T01:55:33.0433333+00:00

I guess I am not the only one being frustrated by this issue. Why does the new Outlook group these messages??
Darkhorse 0 Reputation points

2026-08-07T14:17:45.64+00:00

I tried turning off grouping conversation and my messages are still showing grouped by conversations. I was able to fix it by clicking on one of the sorting buttons and changed it to Date. I circled the button in the attached photo. hotmail.jpg
Erika Fitzpatrick 0 Reputation points

2026-08-07T18:09:14.8566667+00:00

I cannot turn off outlook's grouping function, and can no long can keep track of emails, attachments or anything. Outlook is the worst product on the market, with NO technical support, for the most expensive price. This product SUCKS.
Hornblower409 14,815 Reputation points

2026-08-07T20:03:55.7333333+00:00

@Darkhorse said

I tried turning off grouping conversation and my messages are still showing grouped by conversations. I was able to fix it by clicking on one of the sorting buttons and changed it to Date.

You may have had your Message List sorted by Subject? Looks similar to Grouping by Conversation.

Change to By Date

And turn off File -> Settings -> Mail -> Message List -> "show preview text" and "Show date headers"

Should give you a "Flat" Message List.
Hornblower409 14,815 Reputation points

2026-08-07T20:33:55.68+00:00
@Erika Fitzpatrick said

I cannot turn off outlook's grouping function, and can no long can keep track of emails, attachments or anything.

If the Suggestion in this thread don't help you, I would suggest that you start a new thread using the "Ask a question" button at the top of this page to create a new Question and include the details for your specific problem. This provides much higher visibility to your issue than adding on to an existing post, which is only seen by people who are already following this question.

Outlook is the worst product on the market, with NO technical support, for the most expensive price.

If you have a MS 365 Subscription, you have access to support other than just Chat.

MS 365 - Admin Only Support
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/get-help-support

MS 365 - Subscriber Support
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/support

For free Personal accounts your only choice is Chat.

Logon to https://outlook.live.com/

From the main menu: Help -> ? Help

{This should open the Help side panel}

Search Help -> {Your problem} and press Enter

Still need help? [Yes]

If you get "We're here to help": Tell us your problem -> {Your problem, again} [Get Help]

[Sign In] {Use any Outlook/Microsoft account}

Choose a support option -> Chat with a support agent in your web browser

Answer accepted by question author

AI answer

In new Outlook there are two separate “grouping” behaviors:

Conversation grouping (threads)
Other list grouping (by date, etc.)

To fully stop grouping, check both places:

Turn off conversation grouping
- Select Settings > Mail > Layout.
- Under Message organization, choose the option that shows messages as individual items (not grouped by conversation). In some views this is done by choosing Show each message separately while keeping or adjusting the conversation option as described in the accessibility steps.
Turn off other grouping (Classic vs. New)
- If any folder is still grouped (for example by date) and you are in classic Outlook, use View > Arrange By and clear Show in Groups.
- In new Outlook on the web/Outlook.com, also confirm under Settings > Mail > Layout > Message organization that email is set to show as individual messages, not grouped by conversation.

If messages are still grouped after setting Do Not Group Messages, verify that the change is applied to the correct account/profile and restart Outlook so the layout refreshes.

References:

AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

2 additional answers

Your answer

Chris Fulton 5 Reputation points

2026-03-12T01:15:24.2466667+00:00

Turning the group off only seems to work for the date. When you sort your messages by name or subject, the messages becomes grouped. How do you turn off all grouping?
Tom 0 Reputation points

2026-03-18T17:57:58.38+00:00

Got it.
Ian 0 Reputation points

2026-06-06T02:18:56.77+00:00

This is INFURIATING! Why are emails broken into groups by sender and separated by a toggle bar??? This is horrible UX. How do you turn this off? I have tried ungrouping conversations, etc etc. This only goes away when sorting by date, even then the emails are separated by a "yesterday" toggle bar.

This is especially frustrating when trying to get rid of spam emails and the like. Someone needs to fix this oversight immediately.
Greg Ussher 0 Reputation points

2026-06-14T23:40:20.7533333+00:00

I followed these instructions, and Grouping still persists.
Everyone I know is frustrated by this, as many of us who have been using Outlook for decades are struggling to browse Grouped mail and find older messages. Also, Subject is not always a good basis for grouping a conversation as people change Subject or reuse the same words in different context.
Hornblower409 14,815 Reputation points

2026-06-15T02:57:12.79+00:00

@Greg Ussher said

I followed these instructions, and Grouping still persists.

If you using New Outlook for Windows and Sort by almost anything except Date it will automatically Group and there is no way to turn it off.

If this is not your problem, or you are not using New Outlook, you need to start a new thread using the "Ask a question" button at the top of this page to create a new Question and include the details for your specific problem. This provides much higher visibility to your issue than commenting on an old post, which is only seen by people who are already following this question. (You can put the link for this page in your new Question for reference)
Kun Kim 0 Reputation points

2026-07-16T01:55:33.0433333+00:00

I guess I am not the only one being frustrated by this issue. Why does the new Outlook group these messages??
Darkhorse 0 Reputation points

2026-08-07T14:17:45.64+00:00

I tried turning off grouping conversation and my messages are still showing grouped by conversations. I was able to fix it by clicking on one of the sorting buttons and changed it to Date. I circled the button in the attached photo. hotmail.jpg
Erika Fitzpatrick 0 Reputation points

2026-08-07T18:09:14.8566667+00:00

I cannot turn off outlook's grouping function, and can no long can keep track of emails, attachments or anything. Outlook is the worst product on the market, with NO technical support, for the most expensive price. This product SUCKS.
Hornblower409 14,815 Reputation points

2026-08-07T20:03:55.7333333+00:00

@Darkhorse said

I tried turning off grouping conversation and my messages are still showing grouped by conversations. I was able to fix it by clicking on one of the sorting buttons and changed it to Date.

You may have had your Message List sorted by Subject? Looks similar to Grouping by Conversation.

Change to By Date

And turn off File -> Settings -> Mail -> Message List -> "show preview text" and "Show date headers"

Should give you a "Flat" Message List.
Hornblower409 14,815 Reputation points

2026-08-07T20:33:55.68+00:00

@Erika Fitzpatrick said

I cannot turn off outlook's grouping function, and can no long can keep track of emails, attachments or anything.

If the Suggestion in this thread don't help you, I would suggest that you start a new thread using the "Ask a question" button at the top of this page to create a new Question and include the details for your specific problem. This provides much higher visibility to your issue than adding on to an existing post, which is only seen by people who are already following this question.

Outlook is the worst product on the market, with NO technical support, for the most expensive price.

If you have a MS 365 Subscription, you have access to support other than just Chat.

MS 365 - Admin Only Support
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/get-help-support

MS 365 - Subscriber Support
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/support

For free Personal accounts your only choice is Chat.

Logon to https://outlook.live.com/

From the main menu: Help -> ? Help

{This should open the Help side panel}

Search Help -> {Your problem} and press Enter

Still need help? [Yes]

If you get "We're here to help": Tell us your problem -> {Your problem, again} [Get Help]

[Sign In] {Use any Outlook/Microsoft account}

Choose a support option -> Chat with a support agent in your web browser

Answer 1

In New Outlook for Windows and Outlook Web, if you sort by anything except Date (e.g. Subject, From) there is no way to turn off Grouping.

Example of when you sort by Subject.

User's image

All I can suggest is that you Vote for and Comment on one of these existing Feature Request.
(You must "Sign In" at the top right of the Feedback page before you can vote).

I want the list sorted on Subject, but not grouped
https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/idea/27de2f9f-3cfa-f011-bb46-7c1e529117fa

Automatic Grouping when sorting by From
https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/idea/747348d6-4f61-f111-89e7-7c1e52b8a25f

Or you can create your own new Feature Request

https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/post
(Please put a link to your new Feature Request here in a comment so the rest of us can vote for it)

Similar complaint at
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5774943/how-to-get-rid-of-these-subject-dividers

Answer 2

Rob C 0

It is obvious that the feature is not working in New Outlook. When Mail Layout Message Organization is checked as Do Not Group Messages then Outlook still groups the mesages. Even when sorted by Date. Within the date it groups the messages by subject (or name and subject).

screen capture

User's image

.

Hornblower409 14,815 Reputation points

2026-07-16T21:36:51.0133333+00:00

@Rob C said

When Mail Layout Message Organization is checked as Do Not Group Messages

This setting is ONLY about grouping emails by Conversation. It has no effect on any other grouping.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/mail/view-email-messages-by-conversation-in-outlook

Even when sorted by Date. Within the date it groups the messages by subject (or name and subject).

In you screen shot it looks like it is still Grouping by Conversation. ">" is the normal Conversation expansion symbol. "\/" is for expanding other groupings (e.g. Subject, From).

I can not reproduce. With:

I see:

The only way I can match your screen shot is to turn on Conversation Grouping.
Rob C 0 Reputation points

2026-07-17T12:34:43.14+00:00

@Hornblower409 thanks for trying to reproduce. Several people at my company's IT dept also tried as well as some colleagues. It always puts emails with same subject together including all the replies from everyone, so only the most recent replier's name shows on screen until one expands the arrow that points to the right, the one that is supposed to only be there when Grouped. (also tried display as Sender First or Subject First, same unwanted grouping).

But I DID FIND A SOLUTION: Go to each folder and turn ON Group Messages By Conversation. Then go back to each folder and turn ON Do Not Group Messages (again). Seems the second time doing it and AFTER having changed the same selection in the Settings Mail Layout screen, that now it remembers the choice.

This is so important because people will take an email with subject "Question about the trip" and then reply for a few days about the trip for person A to City X and later someone replies about the billing for person B or about person C's school vacation etc. Having each email separate let's me see the sender and disregard the often irrelevant subject.

Another screen capture to confirm the Conversations menu choices:

.
Hornblower409 14,815 Reputation points

2026-07-17T13:37:36.1+00:00

@Rob C said

SOLUTION: Go to each folder and turn ON Group Messages By Conversation. Then go back to each folder and turn ON Do Not Group Messages (again). Seems the second time doing it and AFTER having changed the same selection in the Settings Mail Layout screen, that now it remembers the choice.

I am glad that you found a solution. But something is still broken with your setup.

For me, the Group by Conversation setting is "global". If I change it at File -> Settings -> EMail -> Layout -> Message organization, or from View -> Conversations -> Message List, it immediately affects all folders and it "sticks".

At some point you might want to try Outlook Web ( https://outlook.cloud.microsoft/ ) to see of you get the same behavior there as well. I would be interested to know what you find out.
Mirage Eldridge 0 Reputation points

2026-08-26T14:12:20.6233333+00:00

@Rob C saved my sanity today