Forum Discussion
The new Outlook search in the title bar is disconnected from the content it searches
I appreciate the benefits of Microsoft Search in the Office apps but I'm getting feedback form multiple people that having the search in the title bar is unhelpful because they need to use the title bar for dragging the window around. In Outlook in particular, having the search box so far away from the content that you're searching is jarring. I understand the value of consistency, but I think that the utility of putting search with the content it searches overrides being consistent at all costs. Can we have an option to move the search box back down to the content in Outlook, and perhaps not to have it in title bars at all?
222 Replies
So i just got into work today, and it appears our system has just updated.
This is absolutely awful! Even so awful I went and created an account so I can log on and add sympathy with you all.
Has anyone found a way of getting the search back or in addition perhaps? It is absolutely terrible in it's new location.
I agree, this search bar move is terrible, where can we leave feedback to Microsoft regarding this?
- This is a change for the sake of change, and not a time saver by any stretch of the imagination - quite the opposite in fact. I prefer to use a search form to reduce the amount of typing, and if I need to filter to a particular folder, I have to click the drop down form twice: once to select the folder, then after the form snaps back as soon as that's done, again to restore the form (which as others have pointed out covers up the ribbon and other important content).
- totally agree on the position points plus it adds at minimum an extra click to do a simple search.
Ed_Watkiss I have to add my voice to the chorus. I'm a heavy Excel and Outlook user and while in excel the new search bar is unobstrusive (and mostly useless when you know your shortcuts), in outlook, changing the placement is a huge step back for usability.
T
Agree completely. New search bar location is lame!
Hi
I hate the new placing of the Search bar as much as the rest of the world, but what really annoys me is that MS it not doing anything about it. And why in the first place change something that people like and that clearly works?
Another thing that's puzzling is, that I have two new computers, both with the same version of Outlook, but in one the search bar is in the correct position and the other in the new wrong position (see pictures)???Carsten
This change is horrid. Why did you break something that was fixed?
twhitezzz Hello, please keep pushing it up by voting here!
https://outlook.uservoice.com/forums/322590-outlook-for-windows-desktop-application/suggestions/39046513-search-at-the-top-option
ChristianBergstrom Looks like they made their decision July 3, and as unpopular as it is, we're going to have to live with it (or switch to LibreOffice)
To make things even worse, both drag and drop and copy and paste features are disabled! Unbelievable how Microsoft could have this stupid idea to create this new search bar!
This is a big backwards step - I use outlook all the time, and this change makes searching more cumbersome and less intuitive. Why change something that worked really well and replace it with an inferior approach? Its totally disconnected from the normal workflow now.
I do not often comment and give feedback but in this case I felt compelled to do so.
100% agreed. This search box on the outlook title bar is terrible. It is an absolute UX step back and a perfect UX decision makers example of a case of "if it isn't broken... don't break it!" - At the very least it should be configurable so users choosing to do so can move it back to where it should be.
Thank you
JD
I am going to reiterate for the benefit of the group. You can get the search bar back in the proper place in outlook by reverting to an earlier version of office. Here is how you do so:
1. Open Outlook, click on file, Office Account. Click on Office Update Options, pick disable updates. Then close all ms office applications
2. Open a command prompt window with admin privileges.
3. Enter the following command:
"C:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\ClickToRun\OfficeC2RClient.exe" /update user updatetoversion=16.0.12527.20194
4. You will see the update appear on the taskbar. Close the command prompt window and wait for update to run.
5. Restart outlook. Things look normal again. Go to file Office Account and make sure Office Updates says this product will not be updated. You can get back to work now.
There was an earlier post which led me to the solution, but I did not find it. Thanks and credit to that first poster.
Cheers,
