Search in Outlook puts your results on top
Published Nov 04 2019 06:00 AM 450K Views
Microsoft

Today, we’re delighted to share updates in Outlook that bring your search results to the top of your app experience, add top results and relevant suggestions to the Search box as well as new ways to find what you need when you search in Outlook on the go.   

 

We recognize that a powerful search tool is a key to getting things done quickly and efficiently.  Productivity is at the core of Outlook and therefore we’re rolling out updates to accelerate and simplify how Search helps you find contextually relevant information, get things done and connect with people.   

 

Over the next few months, you’ll experience these new capabilities in Outlook for Windows:

  • The Search box will move to the top of your app and include the capabilities currently provided in the Tell me what you want to do command
  • Outlook commands will be included in Search results similar to Microsoft Search in Office 365
  • Suggested results will be provided as you type in the Search box including emails

 

And these are the updates to Search in Outlook for iOS and Android for your smartphone and tablet:

  • A new experience that delivers Search results across different tabs
  • Keyword Search results will curate your top email results together
  • Search on the iPad will take advantage of the larger screen surface

 

So let’s dive into the details about these additions to the Search experience in Outlook:

 

Preview updates in Outlook for Windows

 

Last year, we introduced a new “Coming Soon” feature that offered customers a way to preview significant, new updates planned for Outlook for Windows.  With Coming Soon, customers could try the updates when it’s convenient and provide feedback before the updates become the new default experience in production – at which time Coming Soon would disappear. The first update we introduced with Coming Soon was the user experience design updates.  We’re starting to roll out Coming Soon again so you can preview the updates to Search being announced today.

 

When Coming Soon appears with your monthly Office 365 update for Windows, you can learn more about the changes by tapping the Coming Soon button.  It will open the Coming Soon pane that explains the changes giving you the choice to turn them on or wait until another time.  Now Coming Soon will introduce several changes to Search at once. 

 

Coming Soon is back to preview Search at the top of OutlookComing Soon is back to preview Search at the top of Outlook

 

First, the Search box is moving to the top of your email and calendar main canvases.  This update aligns with other Office 365 Search experiences and provides a prominent, consistent place across the apps you work with every day.  When you toggle Coming Soon on, the Search box will be at the top and the option “Tell me what you want to do” will be combined with Search. With Search at the top, it makes the message list pane a bit more tidy and leaves more room to view additional messages.

 

Coming Soon is rolling out now to Monthly Channel Targeted customers and will be introduced to Monthly Channel production customers in the coming weeks. This update will be available as a preview for a limited time --  eventually Coming Soon will go away and the changes will become the new default experience, just as we did when we introduced Coming Soon for customers to preview the new user experience updates in Outlook for Windows.

 

When Search is at the top of your Outlook app you’ll also get the personalized experience of Search Suggestions before you enter your search query. Just one tap into the Search box will show your most recent searches in a drop down menu (people often search for the same things time and again) as well as suggested people and emails addresses of those you communication or meet with most often.  These no-query suggestions are only relevant to you. 

 

Search Suggestions - includes contacts and their emailsSearch Suggestions - includes contacts and their emails

 

Additionally, when you enter a key words search query, we’ll provide Search Suggestions that will continue to change and update as you type more letters. Our plan is to gradually add suggestions such as emails, calendar events, files and commands as potential matches.   

 

Then, once you enter the full keyword search query, Outlook curates the results based on the most relevant information in your mailbox and puts those on top of the returned results followed by results in chronological order (Today, Yesterday etc).

 

Outlook for Windows - Top ResultsOutlook for Windows - Top Results

 

And don’t worry, when you enter a specific query, Outlook for Windows will continue to provide you with an option to correct spelling mistakes so your Search results are bang on.

 

Similar to other Microsoft Search experiences in Office 365, Outlook for Windows commands or Actions will be also be included in your Search suggestions.  For example if you type “sign” in the Search box you’ll start to see Actions in the Search suggestions that align with Outlook commands that include “sign” such as signature and design.  No need to use “Tell me what you want to do” to find the right command when the new Search box includes the answers in one place.  When Search moves to the top of Outlook for Windows, “Tell me what you want to do” will no longer be in your simplified or classic ribbon.

 

A new way to get results when you’re mobile

 

Today Search in Outlook mobile automatically surfaces your top Contacts, Files and other Upcoming events information without entering a query. What if what you need is not there with a single tap on the Search icon?  Top Results are also coming to your keyword search in Outlook for iOS and Android, just double tap the Search icon to go directly to the keyword search box.  Sometimes the most recent results aren’t most relevant. With Top Results we curate the three best results and show them to you at the top of your list, regardless of when they were sent. You’ll still be able to see the rest of the email results in date order and filter them for attachments. Top Results in Outlook for iOS and Android should start to roll out early in the new year.

 

 

 

Top Results in Outlook for AndroidTop Results in Outlook for Android

 

 

The Outlook mobile Search experience continues to evolve.  Recently we added Discover to your Search experience in Outlook for iOS, powered by Microsoft Graph. This feed uses machine learning to provide quick access to Office 365 documents that are popular among people close to you in your organization.

 

Outlook for iOS adds Discover feed from Office 365Outlook for iOS adds Discover feed from Office 365

Today, we also announced Meeting Insights in Outlook for iOS and Android.  With all these updates, we plan to simplify how your Search results show up in Outlook mobile. We’re pleased to announce a new experience to make it easier to find what you need and navigate with tabbed results. This new orientation to Search in Outlook mobile is designed to make it easier to flip through your keyword search results.  With one query, the results are organized across Top Results, Mail, Events and Contacts tabs to make it faster to locate the relevant information you’re looking for. Tabbed results should start to roll out early in 2020. [Update December 3, 2019:  Tabbed results will roll out first in Outlook for iOS in early 2020.  Plans for Outlook for Android will follow.]

 

 

Keyword Search results across tabs in Outlook mobileKeyword Search results across tabs in Outlook mobile

 

In case you missed the announcement Microsoft made this summer in partnership with Samsung, we updated the Outlook for Android tablet experience with a three-pane view for viewing your folders, message list and reading pane all at once. To take advantage of the extra tablet surface we also released the ability to see your keyword Search results in 2 panes so that you can see more results at once.  Similarly, last week we announced enhancements in Outlook for iOS with the Split View in iPadOS as just one of the many Outlook capabilities we deliver across the devices in the Apple ecosystem.  This update will also give you the ability to open multiple windows at the same time, including Search, in Outlook for iOS on the iPad.  

 

 

For those who love Groups in Outlook for Windows, you’ll be excited to learn about advanced email Group Settings option which will be available on your simplified ribbon and rolling out by the end of 2019. And we know you’ll be delighted about the ability to drag and drop emails from your message list to your Groups folder as well as having Microsoft Information Protection sensitivity labeling extend to  your Group – both coming early in 2020.  Learn about these updates and more about Office 365 Groups at this Microsoft Ignite session BRK2056.

 

Drag and drop emails into your Office 365 Groups in Outlook for WindowsDrag and drop emails into your Office 365 Groups in Outlook for Windows

 

Microsoft Ignite is an exciting time where you can learn about updates and things to come. In addition to the enhancements in Search and Calendar in Outlook mentioned here, we also have news to share about the new Outlook for Mac for Insider Fast community and updates that make Outlook for iOS and Android a gold standard for secure communications in the enterprise. Also, don’t miss what’s new in AI in Outlook for iOS with Play My Emails which brings you a new way to manage your inbox.

 

We love hearing from our customers so please share your feedback about all these updates by providing feedback in app or any time at on uservoice.com.

 

May 2020 Updates

 

Thank you to everyone who has provided feedback here, through Coming Soon in Outlook for Windows and other communication channels. With your feedback in mind, we’re adding functionality to further accelerate and simplify how Search in Outlook helps you find contextually relevant information quickly and efficiently.  As the default experience moves Search to the top of the Outlook for Windows app in the coming weeks, we’re rolling out the following updates:   

 

Advanced Search

To respond to requests for support of complex Search queries, we introduced a customizable Advanced Search experience. This provides you with instant access to more filtering options where and when you need them as opposed to adding more commands to Search on the Simplified Ribbon. We are still exploring ways to make the Advanced Search more discoverable but for now, simply click on Current Mailbox once you’ve clicked into in the Search box. If you choose to use Find options instead of keyword Search, we’ve added more Filter Email options to the Simplified Ribbon and if you want to use the Search options on the ribbon instead of the suggestions or the Advanced Search, you can quickly access it without the Advanced Search form overlay by simply hitting the escape key or Enter after you clicked in the Search box.

 

 

Refine and narrow your search with advanced optionsRefine and narrow your search with advanced options

 

Search closer to the results 

The Search box is moving to the top of most of the Microsoft 365 the apps and services and over time the search suggestions will also offer a consistent and coherent experience. However in Outlook, rather than keeping Search centered, we used dynamic positioning and sizing to align it to be closer to the results in the message list.  Better yet, we suggest that you use Search with the customizable Simplified Ribbon, controlled with the chevron on the far right, to bring your search results even closer.

 

Search at the top of Outlook with the classic ribbon optionsSearch at the top of Outlook with the classic ribbon options

 

Search in Outlook is closer to results with the Simplified RibbonSearch in Outlook is closer to results with the Simplified Ribbon

 

Based on feedback about the new Search experience in Outlook as well as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, we extended the area that can be used to click and drag the window to include the Search box area.  “Click and hold”  virtually anywhere across the top blue header, including the Search box while it’s in an inactive state, will allow you to drag and reposition the Outlook window to your preferred location.  

 

Search box is activated to click and reposition the Outlook windowSearch box is activated to click and reposition the Outlook window

 

Performance

Our goal is the make Search even more powerful.  The telemetry data shows that by turning off the experience of automatically changing search results as you type, users were 28% more successful finding what they need in the search suggestions.  By waiting until the users finish their typing and pressing enter, the results were more accurate, the experience felt less distracting and we improved accessibility of the feature.

 

These Search at Top updates are included as part of the Microsoft 365 Apps version 2004, however there are other areas we plan to update and will roll out in future releases:

 

"Right click and copy paste":  We are working quickly to add this capability back to the Search box and plan to have it in an upcoming release.

 

Copy and paste works in SearchCopy and paste works in Search

 

"Search scope options": Based on feedback that changing scope is an extra click away and a common enough scenario, we are actively working on a new scope selection drop down that will be on the left of the Search box as seen here:  

 

 

Scope options available through a drop down menuScope options available through a drop down menu

As a sneak peak, you can also check out the experience in Outlook on the web and click on the chevron left of the search icon.

 

Thank you for your continued feedback. 

 

 

260 Comments
Bronze Contributor

Just a couple comments on the desktop version of Outlook (apologies if any if this is covered above; I didn't see it, if it was).

 

1) For Insiders, the search box was moved to the new location around two months ago, though I've noticed that it sometimes relocates itself back to the traditional location from run-to-run. Was moving it in advance of "Coming Soon" unintentional?

 

2) I strongly suggest that you ultimately provide an option for people to stick with the traditional location. Many prefer that. I'm not speaking of "Coming Soon" here but later on, when it's rolled out to everyone. If you don't, then this will inevitably become a top request.

 

3) I hope the "Coming Soon" button is more consistently available for Insiders. At least here, most of the time last year during the window of time when it was widely available to Insiders (this was months before it was intended to go away) that the button disappeared from the UI after a few weeks and therefore none of the UI elements were available for testing. And, unfortunately, there was no way to get it back for those who wanted it, even via Registry (this is not to be confused with the Registry entry that you provided to make it go away).

Iron Contributor

Please do not replace this feature with a substantial different search feature.   The original feature is used heavily by the corporate base. 

I saw in the preview that I could not search my email only in the inbox.

I saw that I could not use standard search syntax to search specific fields.

This will GREATLY interrupt business flow in so many cases.

PLEASE give us ability to try the newest version but revert back if required. 

 

Can I search a specific field in Outlook? [Mileage]:="ABC"

Can I just search one folder?

Can I rule out certain results? eg.  furniture -chair

Iron Contributor

All I have to say about the Top Results feature is "thankfully, you can turn it off".

 

Why would I want a couple of random results from random times at the top of my list when I'm trying to sort my search results BY DATE? You're solving problems that nobody was having with this app!

Iron Contributor

Guys,

 

You usually hit the mark but occasionally you introduce head scratchers and this was one of them.  One customer who has 70 users was just shown the new search feature and location within Outlook.  Astoundingly, this one change has hit the ground with a thud for them.  Absolutely no one likes the change.   Aside from creating and reading emails, search is the most important feature for them.  Search results for one user is only returning results from sent items for one user despite the search context being All Mailboxes.  We are in the process of rebuilding search indices for multiple users in hopes that the results are back to accurate.

 

FYI, the search context options (i.e. current mailbox, all mailboxes, current folder, subfolders, etc..) is different for shared mailboxes vs normal/online archive mailboxes.  I'm hoping it was just an oversight and will have parity with the other mailbox types.

 

Thanks for the providing a forums for us to give feedback.

Copper Contributor

Might be just a coincidence, but after enabling the new search option yesterday, my search feature in W10 Pro is no longer working.

Copper Contributor

@ScottPWardThe windows 10 pro search feature was broken for me without enabling the new search option in Outlook.

Copper Contributor

@ICutPhoneBillsAre you talking about this?

melbeltagy_0-1580943446013.png

 

Iron Contributor

So I see that some of the features of the new search feature have been fixed or enhanced.

Here are a few comments.  I am dealing feedback from a sample set of about 5000 users many who use the search bar frequently.

 

1) I very much like the filter drop down,  Great addition.

 

2) The position of the search bar.

Moving the bar above the ribbon to the top left of the window and makes it much less user friendly.  Sounds petty but time wasted accumulates when you have to move the mouse further especially if you are a frequent searcher.  The current location, pre-update on the right side below the ribbon, works just fine.

 

3) Real-Time opening of search results:

The fact that the search results windows opens as soon as it is clicked on is troublesome as the emails get covered up.  Please wait until enter is hit.  This may be a bug as it seems to behave as I suggest under certain circumstances.

 

Standardization is nice but Outlook is not word and Outlook is not Excel.  They are used differently. 

Please consider my recommendations.

 

Regards,
Rob

 

Iron Contributor

I agree wholeheartedly with the post above.

Please provide option to keep in same position.

Please do not pop open search results until user needs them.

Brass Contributor

Search window is hiding the options to select from "Search" tab i.e. options to select "from, Subject, Attachments" etc.

Naveen_Goli_0-1581317249621.png

Copper Contributor

As a recent convert from Gmail to Outlook, I really appreciate relocating the search bar and combining it with "Tell me what you want to do."  The redundant searches made no sense to me, and I like it at the top where it does not blend in with the rest of Outlook.  I imagine the search bar is pretty powerful, but it is not very intuitive for new users.  Again, from a Gmail user, when I go to search it would be nice to have common options like "To:", "From:", "Subject:", and "Contains:" as search parameters.  Having "keywords" that make searches more powerful is great, but how does a user know what keywords to use?  I finally figured out that if I click on the drop down for the "folder" it will pop up these common search parameters, but why is that under the folder drop down?  Also, that drop down does not do what it intuitively should.  I have multiple folders for different types of email, and I would expect the drop down to list those folders.  It does not.  To me it seems like I have to do a lot of trial and error every time I got to search for something, but I guess eventually I will figure it out.

Brass Contributor
Some feedback on the new search bar / Outlook desktop UI: On the desktop app, I find the search box is really small/thin in the title bar, it should be the same as the search bar in the Microsoft Teams desktop app (which is also in the title bar). When comparing, you'll see there's not enough padding so the text looks very tight against the edges and it's a pain to click/tap. The title bar needs to be a bit thicker, have subtle rounded corners, and the overall app's aesthetic should be consistent with Teams / Fluent Design.
Brass Contributor

So I just got the update and it's a crappy thing to deal with in the middle of a work day! Please move it back! Why make large UI changes without the option to revert??

 

 

Copper Contributor

Hola! necesitaría que en la parte superior figure:

-dirección de mail  en la que estoy trabajando, ya que tengo 3 casillas y seria mas practico ver en que dirección estoy. :stareyes:

-También les sugiero que si hacen cambios, quien  los  realice este familiarizado con las interfaces y el PROGRAMADOR logre que sea claro, practico, y súper dinámico su uso, EN UNA PALABRA que conozca bien en que esta trabajando y se ponga en lugar del USUARIO. Muchas gracias!!! queridos PROGRAMADORES!!! :smile: 

-Con todos los comentarios que estoy leyendo NO me animo ni me  subyuga pasarme a la nueva modificación realizada. 

Saludos.

 

Brass Contributor

Thank you very much for this post @Eugenie Burrage . What would be incredibly beneficial for all users of Outlook for iOS is to include a link to this very post in the notes for the upcoming version update. Far to often people just update their apps without looking at what’s under the hood and developers just provide a generic macro explanation. This post is a breath of fresh air. Thanks again 

Copper Contributor

The new search "on top" in outlook would be great if the suggestion-window popping below would not systematically hide useful search tools such as "from" …

It's gotten to the point where users no longer scan the offered suggestions and click outside the box to make it disappear. In other words, I now requires more steps to get to the required tools.

It would have been far more useful to make the suggestions box appear under the toolbar instead.

 

Regards,

Brass Contributor

@Eugenie Burrage Searchbox at the top is not that user-friendly. It would be lot better if it can be returned to where it was.

Copper Contributor

Why do you give warning messages without any means of doing something about it.  The Outlook search came up this morning with:

 

David_F1943_0-1582194878264.png

So WHAT DO I DO ABOUT IT??????

 

... and will I get a response to this??   

Copper Contributor

I really like the suggestion of EXCLUSIONS from the search i.e.  -ground  meaning exclude results that show "ground"

 

Similarly is is not clear what happens with two search terms.   Does "David Fleming"   mean David and Fleming or David or Fleming.  Using David&Fleming and David,Fleming would be one solution for these two very different search questions.

Brass Contributor
The search bar in the title bar is a terrible idea. It's bad enough that web browsers have stolen this space for tabs, but you've just dumped it in the left-of-centre haphazardly. Sure, Excel has a search up there but that doesn't make it right. Word has it in a better place BELOW the title bar but in the menu bar - not great but not as bad, and logical for the app as a whole. Both behave weirdly though as I can drag the window by the search box? Unexpected. It was in the right place where it used to be, in context with the mailbox. If you have to move it, then it should be part of the 'quick access toolbar' and move to below the ribbon if the option is selected.
Brass Contributor

Just for the sake of sanity and feedback regarding the new search bar location can we please put it back to the original location. 

It seems rather counterintuitive that if the majority of respondents are opposed to the new positioning of said bar that the deafening ears are ignoring what this group/forum is all about.


Listen and you will be rewarded. Communication 

Microsoft

@David_F1943 

This warning message only appears when Outlook detects the local search service (Windows Desktop Search) is not indexing Outlook content. This will only impact searches that fall back to local search. Instructions to index Outlook with Windows Desktop Search can be found here, https://support.office.com/en-us/article/fix-search-issues-by-rebuildling-your-instant-search-catalo...

 

Exclusions are possible in Outlook today. Using the minus character (“-“) or NOT operator will exclude results that contain that keyword.

Placing multiple search terms in quotation marks will return results only when those keywords appear exactly as typed in the quotations including order. Example: “Outlook Features” will enforce that results must contain Outlook followed by Features. This is different then search for Outlook AND Features as that will return results that contain both keywords, but not necessarily side by side in that order. For more information on advanced keyword properties that Outlook search supports see: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/dev/general-development/keyword-query-language-kql-synta...

 

Note: For an easier way of building advanced queries we recommend using Advanced Search over manually typing Keyword Query Language (KQL). In the new Search at Top experience Advanced Search can be found by clicking the scope selection drop down on the right side of the search box.

Microsoft

@SendtoJacques  

@Santhanam89 

Moving the Search box to appear under the toolbar was something we investigated in earlier iterations of our design. Early feedback was that this felt free floating and felt too disconnected, so we moved to having it appear over the Simplified Ribbon. We made some further changes to make the suggestions easier to dismiss by clicking in the titlebar or hitting the esc key.

Microsoft

@BAMcKenzie69 

We added Advanced Search as part of the Search at the top experience. Clicking the Search scope drop down will show this user experience which contains options for From, To, Subject, etc.

We are looking at options to make Advanced Search more discoverable.   Thank you for your feedback. 

Iron Contributor

@Eugenie Burrage 

@SendtoJacques  

@Santhanam89 

 

Thank you for your response.

IMHO I think the MS testing was flawed.

The position of the search box, while using the Simplified Ribbon, is bordering on acceptable but is still preferred in the old position. 

The issue is that you are making your assumption based on the fact that everyone uses or will migrate to the simplified ribbon.  This is not the case for heavy users of Outlook which have to rely on the classic ribbon.  In the case of the classic ribbon, the search bar position is clumsy and ineffectual.  It slows down users that require frequent searches.  In fact, addition wrist strain is experienced by the mouse hand.  Surely Microsoft can support a floating toolbar for the search box so your users can place this feature where it has lived happily for a decade or more.   At a minimum, right justify it on the top bar.

I know that I am not alone on this.  Hundreds of test users are experiencing the same and that is only a small sample set

 

Iron Contributor

@Eugenie Burrage 

@SendtoJacques  

@Santhanam89 

 

A simple flick of the mouse to get to the search bar has turned into a large move up to the left...100's of times per day.

Not user friendly and quite awkward.

I wonder how many minutes of productivity are lost when you add that up across an Enterprise.

Thanks

Copper Contributor

finally!
It would be nice if Excel and Word moved the search window to the menu.

Copper Contributor

Search bar, in Outlook (contrary to other Office tools), is a cardinal function to mail management.

For all the reasons above (hiding search tools, etc) and this fact it should stay where it is, below the ribbon, easily accessible.

Copper Contributor

I don't use the search function often and therefore I'm happy about the additional space.
Finding Emails was also not a problem.
I can however understand why people who do a lot of searching are not pleased by this change.

Brass Contributor

Please, how do I remove Search box from top bar? I prefer the old position of the Search Box.

Brass Contributor

Please provide a solution to remove the search box from top bar. We prefere the old position of the search box! Give us a choice!

Brass Contributor

@Eugenie Burrage, my company teaches users how to use Outlook more efficiently. We've been trying to figure out how to spin the search update since it was released to our Insiders a few months back. We've always taught our clients to add fields below the search bar to remind them that they can filter their search and to make it more easily accessible. 

A few versions back, 2016 and before I believe, you would click in the search bar and the recent searches would drop down in front of all of the filters. It was clunky and very frustrating for our clients to have to double click in the search bar just to see their filters. However, at least they could still see the refine buttons in the ribbon easily. Once that issue was resolved and the recent searches dropped below the added filters, it was so much easier to demonstrate the usefulness of the feature. Explaining how to refine searches in Outlook has been fantastic and TRULY life changing (their words, not ours) for many of our clients. 

However, moving the search bar up to the top was a decision made based on the assumption that most users will use the simplified ribbon. We teach our clients to stay with the "classic" ribbon to allow them easy, one-click access to wonderful Outlook features that improve their efficiency (ie quick steps). The search bar feels like it's a mile away compared to its old location, but movement is fine. Change is hard, but as long as the change is good its worth going through the transition phase.

This change has not been useful, though. I haven't found any added benefit to the way the search suggestions were built in, the new layout of the search bar, or the recently used/suggested actions section. I would consider myself a power user of Outlook search and I do not see ever regularly using any of those sections at the bottom of the drop down, despite taking the time to explore each one. My first go-to when this changed was the ribbon - I tried to click the green +More button and add my filters back to the search drop down. No luck. It took a while to figure out that clicking the Current Mailbox ("search scope?") drop down would give me filter options. That is the most un-intuitive thing I've ever seen added to something that, according to the hundreds of people we've trained, is already a very un-intuitive process. We also noticed that when using those advanced filters, you have to go back to the mouse to press Search?? You can't just press Enter? I'm assuming that's a bug, but come on. This was a major update that deserved a little more, maybe more diverse, UI testing. 

Please consider moving the advanced filters to the initial drop down. The visual updates to the search filters (mostly the expanded section where you can select/deselect check boxes you want to display) were an improvement. I would love to be able to demonstrate this feature to my clients without having to take them through the cumbersome process of hitting the +More button like we do now, but telling them to click the Current Mailbox drop down every time they want to filter is going to fall on deaf ears.

Again, change is worth the clunky transition, as long as it's worth it. The placement of the search bar is something everyone will get over. Making an already stressful process (searching for emails) even more stressful is the real problem here. One simple change -moving the advanced filters to the main drop down- will resolve a lot of users' qualms with this update. 

I would love to discuss this update and its impact on us and our clients, since we work with such a diverse group of Outlook users across multiple industries, with someone from Microsoft. Please let me know if I can assist in any way. Thank you for constantly trying to improve!

Brass Contributor

I would highly recommend @Eugenie Burrage that in order to please both camps here with respect to the old and new placement of the search bar that the most professional decision would be to offer an option for a ‘classic’ or ‘updated’ view under preferences.

However moving forward and sticking with the new positioning, even with all the animosity, as a MSFT business decision and that MSFT will not bend on this is not the right course. 
Once again consider the ‘option’ idea as your consumers and clients are waiting to see what your next move will be. They won’t forget and move on if their vocal opposition isn’t met.

 

{/sarcasm}I’m no activist, I just play and sound like one on the internet {/end sarcasm}

 

@MelissaPoole you are dead on with your overall assessment. Well spoken.

Brass Contributor

The new location is a bad idea because the searches are no longer in the optical context of the results. The search function is basically the most powerful and useful tool Outlook has and it needs to be center stage just like it was.

Iron Contributor

Could everyone please post feedback and vote at following key article:

 


https://outlook.uservoice.com/forums/322590-outlook-2016-for-windows/suggestions/39046513-search-at-...

 

Brass Contributor

@Gfyrlw  Adding a vote right now. I do hope MSFT takes serious note of not only this thread but to the uservoice vote as well.

Cheers mate 

Brass Contributor

The position of the search bar way up above the ribbon is terrible. It wastes users time to have to leave the main work areas to hunt down the search bar. The bar itself is too small and in Dark Grey mode, as I use Outlook in, the bar is virtually invisible.

MKB_Au_0-1583857556580.png

 

Copper Contributor

HOW CAN I CHANGE THIS??????????????????????? 

Bronze Contributor

Did anyone catch this? The release notes for the Insider (Slow) build. Take a close look at the Outlook section, particularly the screenshot.

 

"The Search experience in Outlook just got a facelift! It is now more reliable, intelligent, and faster than ever. Also, any search entry is now being spell checked and, if errors are detected, helpful suggestions are offered to ensure that you get to the results you're looking for. Finally, notice that the most relevant search results are presented at the top of the results list, making access faster."

 

Sounds to me like they've reversed themselves regarding the positioning.

Brass Contributor

@Brian .   The properties of Search have been updated regardless of where the Search Bar is, so spellcheck and prioritizing results is there even if you haven't elected to re-position the Search Bar location using 'On' in Coming Soon. Once MS forces the change out to everyone we'll all be equally miserable.

Bronze Contributor

OK, but...that screenshot. Why would a brand-new blog post show the "old" way?

 

b2020c5e-d9ea-47d4-ae95-a0d159516095

 

BTW, I can't even recall how many months it's been since I've seen search at the very top (it was up there only briefly)...and I use the Fast Insider build. And there's no Coming Soon toggle, either (I haven't seen that in about 18 months; and this isn't a corporate situation where it's disabled in policy).

 

I wish MS would get their act together about the way they roll features out.

Copper Contributor

Testing out the new "On Top" search feature.  As a person that receives hundreds of emails a day and may have 80-100K that are stored in 1 year this new feature is very limiting and not so useful, I keep and search about 6 years worth of email regularly.  I have the old style at work and this at home, I have to say searches at home take longer to narrow and find the email I am looking for.  I did a test run looking for a needle in a haystack and the search in the new format took me almost 4 times as long to find.  This means a feature that I use daily a few time will waste more time.  Please do not make this permanent it will really hurt my productivity!  

Copper Contributor

I can appreciate where you're heading with this simplified search is heading, but I hate it. Just like every other time that MS implements some "smart" feature (like Clippy), I shudder. In this case, you appear to have removed the "+More" search fields option which was brilliant, and most importantly. definitive. Please bring back the old search way.

Brass Contributor

@Eugenie Burrage @We all need clarity as to what position MSFT is taking with this issue. Please be specific. Silence isn’t good at this point. 
Thanks,

Substandard 

Iron Contributor

I forced myself to use the search on top feature for about a month now. I was hoping that I would get used to it and it would be easy to use after some time. This is not the case. Each day I shake my head and wonder what Microsoft is thinking by making user-experience far worse than it was before. This directly impacts heavy Outlook users. It would be interesting to track the additional real estate covered by a heavy searcher mouse pointer with this poorly thought out update. It's about lost productivity Microsoft. Please get it together.

Microsoft

I'm a search addict and moving the search bar to the top is not improving the ergonomy.

 

most of the time we have clicked on a mail when we decide right after to perform a search. Having the search text zone close to the mail's area is just fantastic. 

i hope that you would provide the possibility to move the search back to its previous place

Brass Contributor

I wish for just one day you would stop changing things for the sake of change... this is perhaps the most useless change you've made to date.

 

PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD>>> PUT SEARCH BACK WHERE IT BELONGS.

 

C

 

 

Copper Contributor

no search in the title bar

 

The title bar is used to resize the window by double click or it's used to move it around.

This is a very important functionality. Also it displays the title.

 

keep in mind that the support has to guide the customer. 

if there is no title anymore how you make sure the cusomer is in Outlook and not in another program?

 

The title bar is the title bar and should not be used for other functionalities.

The reason is simple: please follow your own style guides that made you what you are today. 

You have had a clear and consistent look and feel 20-30 years and this is what your customers love.

 

 

Copper Contributor

If research proves the old location is not liked by most users, the new location is contextually wrong IMHO. Search and results are logically linked so they should be visually in the same context as well, unless, of course, this change is a step towards a new overall office experience where there's no more title bars (is it?).

 

How about a third option:

Make the search tab on the ribbon permanent and add all search required controls, drop-downs, and options to it.

Copper Contributor

I guess in the mobile app this works fine, but in the client on my computer this does not work. The old way of searching was faster. It does not work nice. Hope for the client tooling you can add an option, so I can choose where I want to put the search window. 

Thanks.  

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