Questions
- What is the Focused Inbox in Outlook?
- What do the Focused and Other tabs mean?
- How does Outlook decide which emails go to Focused?
- How do I move an email between Focused and Other?
- Does Focused Inbox affect my notifications?
Environment
This article applies to anyone using Outlook with Focused Inbox, which is available in Outlook for macOS, Outlook for Windows, and Outlook on the web.
Resolution
Focused Inbox pre-sorts email so the most important messages are easy to find. It places the most important emails in the Focused tab and the rest in the Other tab. Focused Inbox works across all connected email accounts, personal and professional.
To build an inbox that fits how a person works, the mail system considers the emails and contacts a person interacts with and filters out noisy sources such as automatically generated or bulk email. The more Focused Inbox is used, the better it gets at sorting.
Messages can be reclassified between Focused and Other at any time. Open an email, then select Move to Focused or Move to Other from the overflow menu. To keep certain messages out of the Other tab permanently, see Stop Emails from Going to the Other Tab in Outlook in the Related Articles section.
Note: Notifications are synced to Focused Inbox. On iOS, the badge count is synced to Focused Inbox as well.
Additional Help
If you need further assistance, you have several options:
- Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
- Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
- In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
- Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.