Forum Discussion
Focused Inbox keeps disappearing
Hi - I gotten used to Focused Inbox and quite like it. However, it keeps disappearing on me.
On first load in the morning, Outlook shows Focused Inbox. After processing the first morning's set of emails, I switch focus to other apps. When I switch back to Outlook, the Focus Inbox has disappeared. In addition, the option in the View menu to turn it on also disappears.
If I close and restart Outlook, it comes back, but will again disappear after while.
Has anyone else seen this behaviour? I guess something is crashing, but I don't know how to trouble shoot this.
I am running Office Pro Plus Version 1810 (Build 11001.10060 Click-to-Run), 16.0.11001.20054.
51 Replies
Andrew van Renen I'm not sure what caused this to start working for us, but we haven't had this issue in probably 6 months or longer at my firm. On outlook version 2202 Build 14931.20132 (Click to run)
Windows 10 Version 21h2 Build 19044.1586 Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.4170.0
- April 2022 and it's still happening. I have not found a way to recover the focused inbox except shutdown outlook and restart. How can it take 5 years to make this feature stable?
My workaround is to open a separate window for any Outlook view other than the inbox. So, for example, I open my calendar in a new window to look at it. That way my inbox window always keeps the Focused and Other choices. Shouldn't be necessary, but . . . .
DPugh1000 That's a great idea. once you get the other window open you can use that to go between contacts and calendar I suppose as well. Thanks
Bill Pennock because of this issue, and because what was and wasn't showing up in the focused view was constantly changing, I gave up on focused inbox and turned it off long ago in Outlook for the desktop. It seems to work much better on mobile devices though.
Todd Walker Thanks. Too bad it's a super useful feature and when I first started using it I didn't have the problem. now it is all the time. sigh.
This issue drove me NUTS for weeks. I think I finally found the solution and was able to fix it.
What worked for me was creating a new Outlook profile and just starting to use that instead of the existing one. Once you create a new profile, it's not that difficult to hook up your email address(es) to the new one. Takes a few minutes to an hour (depending on the size and number of your mailboxes). For me, this was Well worth the trouble to do it.
In case you need it, here are some results of how to create a new Outlook profile. Good luck!
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=new+outlook+profile
January 2020 and I'm having this issue.. Windows 1903.18362.535 and Outlook 1908.11929.20516 (CTR)
Still happening at end of October 2019, outlook version 1909 build 12026.20344. Been happening for about a month now. Tried all the usual suspects outlined in this thread (quick repair, uninstall/reinstall, etc)
Here's the sequence that fixes/breaks focused inbox for me:
1. Launch Outlook.
2. Click Focused Inbox button in ribbon or in Quick Access toolbar.
3. Restart Outlook
4. Focused inbox will show up correctly at this point, and I can toggle it off/on with the button in the ribbon.
5. As soon as I put the cursor in the "search" field, focused inbox goes away. I don't actually have to search anything, just clicking in the search box is enough.
6. Close Outlook
7. Go to step 1
Basically - the search feature breaks focused inbox, restarting outlook and turning it on brings it back. Two restarts required. As long as I don't have to search for anything (usually about a 3 minute time span) , it works great.
One possible solution: Try to add Focused Inbox back to the View ribbon
Open File > Options > Customize Ribbon
Under Choose commands from select All Tabs and under Customize the Ribbon select Main Tabs.
In the column on the right, select View.
From the column on the left search under View for Focused Inbox and if you see it, select it and click the Add >> button in the middle to add it to the View section on the right.
I hope this helps you.
Regards,
Akshay
I've just started experiencing the disappearance of the Focused inbox. I'm on version 1909 (Build 12026.20264) and Monthly Channel, on a machine with Windows 10 Version 1903 Build 18362.356.
- When I add the focused inbox back to the ribbon, it's greyed out and can't be selected.
I would recommend checking which release version you are on, if on the Monthly release channel then please switch to Semi-Annual channel as its more stable. Monthly channel in my experience tends to be glitch sometimes and causes some occasional issues.
Another recommendation would be to re-install office and make sure its has the most up-to-date patches for the semi-annual channel.
I would recommend checking which release version you are on, if on the Monthly release channel then please switch to Semi-Annual channel as its more stable. Monthly channel in my experience tends to be glitch sometimes and causes some occasional issues.
Another recommendation would be to re-install office and make sure its has the most up-to-date patches for the semi-annual channel.
I would recommend checking which release version you are on, if on the Monthly release channel then please switch to Semi-Annual channel as its more stable. Monthly channel in my experience tends to be glitchy sometimes and causes some occasional issues.
Another recommendation would be to re-install office and make sure its has the most up-to-date patches for the semi-annual channel.
-Ash
Andrew van Renen - this problem just started happening for me over the last couple of weeks. Did you ever find a solution?
i have not seen this problem for a long time. but this week it is start happening again, the Focused Inbox disappearing, a repair of the Office will bring back the function.
I am using version 16.0.11425.20242 (32 bit)
Any update ?
I am also having this exact same issue with Office 365. I'm on Version 1905, Build 11629.20246 Click-to-Run Monthly Channel 64-bit. I verified that it is enabled on OWA and works fine there. Its so weird that it works in the Outlook Desktop client for a bit then just disappears with no way to re-enable it. I also tried to fully uninstall and re-install to no avail.
