Forum Discussion
The new Outlook search in the title bar is disconnected from the content it searches
HidMovthis is a change in recent Insider versions of Outlook, so it may not have reached you yet. I can't find an option to move it back to the top of the inbox - and searching is so important in Outlook that I wouldn't want to hide the feature!
Here's another really awful side effect of having the search bar in the title bar... When you type into it, the search suggestions and actions drop-down menu COVERS the ribbon and the "Search" tab which contains search refinement options!!! This makes the "Search" tab options completely unusable. If you click away in order to get the search suggestions to disappear, then the Search tab also disappears from the ribbon.
- This is most annoying! To mitigate, Use File->Options->Search to permanently add the Search tab to the Ribbon.
Adam Lein, I can't believe that Microsoft have launched this update with such a major design flaw. Did they do any User Acceptance Testing at all??
The search bar position - here Outlook 2019 - is a nightmare:
- why would they do this... 😞
- just wondering if MS is doing any customer feedback before launching an update or if some developer just 'thinks' he/she has a good ideas ... very frustrating!
And most importantly - you can't see the name of the folder you are in! Especially, for those of us that have multiple mailboxes, you can't tell which one you are in.. very bad design.!
- So stupid...do the developers even use these features before releasing them? I use the Search Ribbon tools daily and now they are obscured by a new search drop down, which gives no additional value.
+1 to the list of people who notice that it prevents us from using the Search tab in the ribbon. You have to be crafty to get back to the ribbon, by clicking one of the dropdown arrows, then from there, click whatever else you're after.
E.g.- Click into new search bar.
- Click the "Recent Searches" Search ribbon tab button's down-arrow (this hides the fly-down menu from the new search bar that covers most of the Search ribbon tab).
- Click whatever it was in the Search ribbon tab that you wanted to click in the first place.
JeremyTBradshaw much thanks for the tip on being crafty. I wouldn't have gotten there myself! At least I can search now.
Adding my vote to this being one of the worst UX changes of the decade, and it's only 2020
- I think we're supposed to drop down the search options box from the title search box and ignore the ribbon
- Way more clicks and totally inefficient for those that display the ribbon.
Old method - Ctrl +E then click the refiners on the ribbon. Super efficient.
Maybe this is the worst Idea since, I don't know, GREEDO SHOOTING FIRST!
Tested the fast ring Outlook - not at fan at all. I've left feedback because it seems like it's not going to be a useful change going forward.
Hi HidMov
Were you able to change it back?
Hi BigJohn1966
This was quite a few months ago; reading back I think I initially misunderstood what Mary was saying regarding the settings. The new search bar has been rolled out to my tenant now and while I'm not a super fan I'm just cracking on with it now. I can access the search tab now for advanced options which I think I found tricky before.
Hello,
I am new to the group and also am not a fan of the search bar being moved up to the title bar. I havent heard of the fast ring Outlook yet. I'll google it to see what its about.
Thanks Debbiejj
Hi debbiejj
https://www.slipstick.com/general/office-insider-builds/ has a pretty good overview if you are looking for more information.
None of my users like this change either. They are also not on the insider preview version of outlook.
This has appeared for one of our staff now as well. They are on Monthly Channel (Targeted) so it seems they are the first to receive it. Confused the hell out of them to have search just disappear (yes it only moved, but that's not where their eyes look for it) and they don't like it. The option to move it back would be ideal. I have no idea what benefit this is supposed to bring.
