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Can I use Outlook.com without using the viewing pane?

Joshua 41 Reputation points
2025-10-27T20:27:39.99+00:00

Hello, I receive a lot of phishing e-mails. I would like to know if I can turn off the viewing pane so that I can simply select the junk and phishing e-mails to report them without viewing them at the outlook.com website. It does not seem to be an option in the default windows application. Assistance will be appreciated. Thank you.

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Settings
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  1. Edward Schlobohm01 3,720 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-10-27T21:07:00.53+00:00

    Hi,

    Thanks for reaching out Microsoft Community, I’m happy to help with your Outlook setup.

    Just to clarify, are you using Outlook.com in a browser or the Windows Mail app? The reading pane behaves differently depending on the platform, so knowing that will help narrow things down.

    You can avoid the reading pane in Outlook.com, but Microsoft recently changed how it works. The old option to turn it off completely is gone, but you can switch to “Fill Screen” mode, which hides the preview and only opens emails when you click them. It’s a good way to avoid accidentally viewing phishing messages. Unfortunately, this option isn’t available in the Windows app, where the reading pane is always active.

    Please let me know if you need clarification, Happy to help!

    Warm regards,

    Edward

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