E-MAIL - E-MAIL SOFTWARE - 28.10.2019

Make smarter use of the ribbon in Outlook

Too many buttons

The ribbon at the top of Outlook contains all the options and commands for applying actions to your e-mail or your calendar. However, because Outlook is such a comprehensive application, the number of buttons on the ribbon is equally considerable. Each menu ( Home , View , etc.) has its own tab on the ribbon, and within each tab you will find different action groups. In some groups there are more actions than fit in the box; by clicking the arrow in the lower right corner of the group, you can call up the hidden actions. Note. The ribbon adapts itself to the current situation: a different ribbon will appear above your mailbox than above your calendar.

Simplified ribbon

Two frequent complaints are that the ribbon is far too crowded, and that it takes up too much screen space. To do something about this, Microsoft has developed a simplified version which is more compact and easier to understand (see https://bit.ly/359ZXIH ). Unfortunately, for the time being this is only available to certain users of Outlook for Office 365, but it will be rolled out more widely in the near future. Note. You will be able to switch between the classic and the simplified ribbon.

Tip. In the Office 365 online apps, you can already get acquainted with the simplified ribbon.

Fold

You can save screen space by folding the ribbon - just click on the arrow on the far right. As soon as you click on a menu tab, the ribbon will be temporarily opened. Use the pin on the right side of the ribbon to fold it again. As long as the ribbon is folded, only one action button is will be in the upper left corner, e.g. “New message” when you are currently in the mail window.

Tip. Add the actions that you wish to keep visible at all times to your Quick Access Toolbar (see https://bit.ly/2mBCDyu for details).

Find actions

If you can’t find the option or action you need on the ribbon, type the desired action in the Tell me what you want to do text field at the top ( https://bit.ly/2Dpxoc6 ). This will immediately produce a list of the relevant actions for the search you’ve entered.

Customise

Do you find the ribbon overloaded or it doesn’t show the actions you often use? No problem, you can fully customise it: just right-click on an empty spot in the ribbon and choose the Customise the Ribbon option (see https://bit.ly/31Smw2s ). For example, you can:

• disable tabs that you never or hardly use so as to keep the ribbon clearer. You can also modify the order, e.g. by putting the most frequently used tabs first
• change the names of the tabs
• change the content of tabs, e.g. remove unused groups from existing tabs. Alternatively, you can create a completely new tab and bring together all your favourite groups there
• change the order or content of groups: e.g. remove unused actions from a group. You can also give a better name to a group or create a new one in which you bring together your favourite actions from other groups.

Tip. Feel free to experiment: the Reset button lets you revert to the default ribbon at any time. Conveniently, you can export a custom ribbon to a file and reload it later.