Microsoft Outlook.com quick tips

Quick tips for Outlook.com

Spell check

Spell check for Outlook.com is provided by your browser.

With most newer browsers, spelling is checked continuously as you write. Words not found in the spell-check dictionary are underlined in red. To take action, right-click the word.

With older browsers like Internet Explorer 7 or 8, you’ll need to run spell check . Click Spell check in the Outlook.com menu bar. When spell check is complete, a message will appear at the bottom of the browser. In the message, words that need your attention are underlined in red. To take action, click the word.

Your choices during spell check

If the correct spelling appears in the list of words, click it.

To have spell check ignore a word it doesn’t recognize in this and all future emails, click Add to dictionary.

To have spell check disregard all instances of the word for this email only click Ignore or Ignore all.

If spell check isn't working, try updating your browser.

See all your email (turn off message grouping)

When message grouping is on, you see the most recent email plus headers for earlier emails with the same subject line. To read an earlier email, click the header.

Message grouping is on by default, but you can turn it off.

Click the Options icon , and then click Options. 

Under Reading email, click Group by conversation and pre-load messages.

Select Show messages individually, then click Save.

To return to your inbox, click the Outlook logo

Change how your inbox looks

 Here's how to change the look of your inboxTo change the color, click the Options icon , and select a color from the palette.To change the size of the font in your inbox, adjust the zoom setting on your browser.To show the reading pane and be able to read emails without having to open them, click the Options icon , and under Reading pane click Right or Bottom. Change settings

Click the Options icon , and then click Options.

On the Options page, you'll find settings to manage your account, write and read email, block junk email, set automatic replies, etc.  

Sign in / sign out

To sign in

1. Go to http://outlook.com and enter your email address and password. If you want to get to your inbox without having to sign in each time, select Keep me signed in.
2. Click Sign in.
   If you’re signing in from a public computer, click Sign in with a single-use code, and follow the instructions on the screen. For more info, see What is a single-use code?.

To sign out

Click your name (upper right), then click Sign out.

Work with folders
To move messages to a folder, do one of the following.Drag the message header to the folder.

Select the check box for one or more messages, click Move to, and then click the name of the folder.To move messages with one click, set up an instant action.

To rename a folder, right-click it, then click Rename.

To add a new top-level folder, right-click Folders (upper left), then click Add a new folder.

To add a subfolder, right-click the folder you want the subfolder to live under, then click New subfolder.

To delete a folder, right-click the folder, then click Delete. You can’t delete the Inbox, Junk, Drafts, Sent, Deleted, or Messaging history folders.

To delete all the messages in a folder, right-click the folder, click Empty folder, and then click Empty.