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Jeff_Ward's avatar
Jeff_Ward
Copper Contributor
Sep 12, 2021

How to view a single message plain text

What is the simplest way to view the plain text of a single message without changing outlook settings? Email messages can contain both html and plain text simultaneously but only one type can be viewed at a time and their content can contain completely different and contradictory messages according to what the sender inserted for each. I want to continue to view all messages as html by default but sometimes I'd like to see the plain text message. Ideally, I'd hope to find a button to "switch to plain text view" or "switch to html view". The shortest way I've found to accomplish something similar is to either forward or reply to the message and "Format Text > Plain Text" to show the alternate content as a workaround. Is there a more convenient way?

3 Replies

  • Hornblower409's avatar
    Hornblower409
    Brass Contributor

    Using Classic Ribbon:

    Message -> Actions -> Edit Message
    Format Text -> Plain Text

  • If you are using the new Outlook or web version, this is a great opportunity to provide Microsoft feedback on your request. 

    While in New Outlook, select Help | Feedback or visit the Feedback portal

    #traccreations4e-r25 9/26/2025

  • JohnM1's avatar
    JohnM1
    Copper Contributor


    Outlook doesn’t really have a quick toggle, but I’ve been using the ReplyFlow add-in to clean up emails. It shows the message in a super clear chat-style view, so I can check the real content without touching my default settings.
    https://appsource.microsoft.com/ca-es/product/saas/wa200009219?tab=overview

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