Bug in New Outlook? Read mail messages are not set to Unread anymore!

Hi @Joanne Haverson,

I'm sorry for any miscommunication earlier.

Based on your feedback, may I confirm if you would like your emails to remain unread after clicking and previewing them?

If that is the case, you can follow these steps:

• Open New Outlook
• Go to Settings (gear icon at the top right corner)

• Navigate to Mail > Message handling
• Scroll to the "Mark as read" section
  • Select "Don't automatically mark items as read"
  • Ensure "Always keep items unread unless I explicitly mark them as read is enabled"

• Click Save to apply the changes
• Close Outlook, reopen it, and test the behavior

If you need any further assistance, please don’t hesitate to let me know. Thank you for your understanding.

Hello @Joanne Haverson,

Good day! I hope you are doing well.

Based on your description, I understand that the option to mark emails as Unread is either no longer visible or not working as expected in the New Outlook experience, compared to how it worked previously in Classic Outlook.

To help us provide the most accurate and effective solution for your issue, could you share a bit more detail about your setup:

• Are you unable to mark emails as unread completely, or is the option just missing from the toolbar or message list?
• Do you see the “Mark as unread” option when you right-click an email?
• Have you checked Settings > Mail > Customize actions to confirm if “Mark as read/unread” is enabled?
• Did this behavior change recently (for example, after an update), or has it always behaved this way in New Outlook?
• Does the issue occur for all emails, or only in specific folders (such as Inbox, shared mailbox, etc.)?
• Can you provide a screenshot showing how this feature work as expected from Classic Outlook? You can remove any personal information before uploading your images.

This additional context will help us understand your environment and the steps already taken so we can tailor the guidance to resolve the issue effectively.

In the meantime, here are a few recommendations you can try to Mark an email as Unread in New Outlook:

• Try right-clicking an email and selecting Mark as unread (if available).

• When you open an email, click the three dots on the right-hand side, then select Mark as unread.

• Click on an email and use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + U to mark a message as unread.
• Go to Settings > Mail > Customize actions and ensure the option is enabled.

• Refresh or restart Outlook to ensure the latest interface is loaded.
  • Press Windows + I to open the Settings app.       
  • Click on Apps > Installed apps (or Apps & features, depending on your Windows version).        
  • Scroll down or search for Outlook for Windows > Click on the three dots > Advanced options        
  • Scroll down to the Reset section > Choose Repair       
  • If the issue persists, back up all the important data > return and select Reset    
  
  • Restart your PC    
  • Open New Outlook again and test the behavior   

I apologize if I could not jump straight to a solution. I want to avoid suggesting anything that might be inaccurate or unhelpful. Once I have the details above, I’ll be able to assist you more effectively and guide you toward the right resolution.

Looking forward to your response so we can get this sorted out for you together.

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