Outlook 365 Ribbon, etc

Copper Contributor

The ribbon on Outlook 365 looks different after a restart this morning. For example rather than a X (cross) for Delete it now a symbol of a rubbish bin. Also other symbols have changed on the ribbon to this style of look and even things like reply purple arrow.

 

Any idea how to get back to the original classic look?

53 Replies

Just be glad it's not deleting your files :D Sorry, couldn't resist :)


@wroot wrote:

Just be glad it's not deleting your files :D Sorry, couldn't resist :)


Don't think I have ever seen any update start deleting files ... maybe missed the point of your "glad it's not deleting your files" comment.

Then again last week a Microsoft server update removed access to the Global Address List for our 200 staff, that was a fun day :D

So, you haven't heard about the latest Windows 10 feature update (October 2018 Update) struggles?


@wroot wrote:

So, you haven't heard about the latest Windows 10 feature update (October 2018 Update) struggles?


Ahhh hadn't been impacted across our business by this "Microsoft introduced code in the 2018 update to remove these empty and duplicate known folders, but in some cases, there was still some data leftover in the folders." 
Thanks for the reminder. Now back to lobbying for that single-row ribbon option. 

In the past for things like this, Microsoft would make the old design as a "theme" or "skin". Those that didn't like the new look could go back to the old one. This is the right way to do it - give the end user choice and control.

 

Keep in mind too that businesses may have documentation on how to do things based on specific ribbon designs. This funky new look is all well and good, but it really is just change for the sake of change, and there are quite a few who do not like this, myself included.

This reminded me i have to look through a few guides and update images ;) As much as i agree that the user has to have options, from a developer standpoint it is a pain to support different designs (MS would also have to maintain different documentation for two designs).

They just need to publish a guide to the new icons (which is what I came here looking for). With the contextual menus, I can't rely on knowing where the function I want is, since it's in a different place every time I right click, depending on what MS "thinks" I want to do.

 

I use the "dark grey" theme, because it's easier on the eyes, and while I agree that the icons bring back memories of the old black and white screens from the 80's, I think the simplicity of the design makes it easier to distinguish between icons, and fit more information per pixel. Now I just need an option to change the actual email "background" away from bright white. Even with the "black" theme, the emails themselves are displayed as bright white.

Computer with Windows 7 and Office 365 - cannot edit existing Word documents after October update.  Ribbon only has File, Tools, View... no other ribbon tabs and no Ribbon Display Options icon or "..." icon on ribbon.

 

Need to use my Word files.  What do I do for full functionality.  Help!  Urgent!

Hi!
Please provide a screenshot. Cant you change or alter the Document at all?
Tried doing a repair from the programs and features in control panel?
adam

I wish I could hate it too, but despite trying both Monthly and Monthly (Targeted) -- and even Insider Fast -- the new icons have never shown up. Not sure why.

 

The most I've seen is the "Coming soon" toggle with Insider Fast--for about six weeks. That only related to the Simplified Ribbon (and other changes in Outlook specifically) though, not what I'm talking about above. In recent weeks, even the "Coming soon" toggle disappeared, so everything is back to the way it was (i.e. no Simplified Ribbon).


@Brian . wrote:

I wish I could hate it too, but despite trying both Monthly and Monthly (Targeted) -- and even Insider Fast -- the new icons have never shown up. Not sure why.

 

The most I've seen is the "Coming soon" toggle with Insider Fast--for about six weeks. That only related to the Simplified Ribbon (and other changes in Outlook specifically) though, not what I'm talking about above. In recent weeks, even the "Coming soon" toggle disappeared, so everything is back to the way it was (i.e. no Simplified Ribbon).


In complete opposite to yourself now all my Office 365 apps have been updated with this new style ribbon. Took a few weeks for this to happen from the initial Outlook 365 only change. 

I agree, the ribbon is bigger and uglier.  I am not against upgrades/updates, but I would like them to enhance my user experience.  In this case, it is definitely a step down, the ribbon is more cluttered and takes more of my page.  The worst thing is that the ribbon that I use the most is the one with the worst new icons.  The other ribbons aren't too awful - I could live with them, for the most part - the send/receive is also big, but the rest are pretty ok.

After a relative period of stability with the new Ribbon Icons yesterday my installs all reverted back to the classic 2016 Icons. I say relative, as sometimes it would start with the legacy icons and then switch to the new Icons when the application was restarted.

Now my ribon Icons are back to 2016. This maddening. I do not know which interface I will have whenever I start Office.

Microsoft: How can we fix this. I like the new interface, but I'd like it to stick. I don't like that fact that it keeps changing.

Very confusing indeed.

And what, exactly, is the relationship between the new-LOOK ribbon and the ribbon that looks completely different (i.e. half the height with most of the functionality reorganized--you get it by toggling Coming Soon, assuming you have the toggle)?

Was the new-look ribbon Phase 1 and the half-height one Phase 2?

We've just deployed the October release of Office 365 suite into our Citrix UAT environment to test some fixes for bugs in the Semi-Annual Channel release, and we've discovered this strange behaviour of ribbon icons changing randomly.  It would be really good if someone from Microsoft could explain why this is happening.  We are looking to roll this out to the wider organisation, but don't want to end up with calls coming into our Service Desk about their ribbon icons changing constantly!

Yes, I've noticed it, too. I thought it was a reflect of capabilities of contemporary Microsoft programmers and program managers - blank surface with one black line on it. Also the level of cheapness - that's how much they are willing to give us back for the money they collect with utter greed.

I understand it's a pain. So, I would suggest something to modern generation of MS programmers and program managers - please, stop trying to improve things! Just feed the pigs and don't change anything!

MS modern quality assurance, I'd guess.

That’s BS.

Office is one of the highest used desktop application suites which means it should be going through extensive user interface testing when that facet of the suite changes. I can’t see the majority of users responding that they like the UI changes.

If the change was to make the icons more scalable, they could have found a solution that didn’t end up with a cartoonish UI.

I remember the uproar when Office 2007 and the Ribbon were announced. Now it is a standard. Personally i don't like the new icons either (they look better in youtube advertisements, but not so much live). But i don't think MS cares enough for a few annoyed users. They are set to full redesign (icons, web version, ribbons, etc.).