Outlook Automatically Mark as Read
In Microsoft Outlook, whenever you go through the Outlook Inbox emails and make a click on any email after that moves to another mail, then the previous one is automatically marked as read. However, you did not open that email or not read them thoroughly. To be ensure, whether an email would have been read by you or not, you need to marked every single email that you clicked.
Obviously, you felt that this situation is quite confusing or irritating and practically it is very time consuming. To sort this issue, you have to make some changes in your Microsoft Outlook. Also Read: How to fix Outlook emails automatically disappear easily with easy steps.
Steps to Fix Issue in Different Versions of Microsoft Outlook
In the Article, We discuss following topics.
Steps in Microsoft Outlook 2013 and 2010
- Open "Microsoft Outlook".
- Click on "File" tab >> Go to "Options".
- An "Outlook Options" window will open. In the left pane, click on "Mail" option >> click on "Reading Pane…" (At right pane) option.
- After hitting on 'Reading Pane' button, a new pop-up box will open named as "Reading Pane".
- Under Reading Pane options, by default the option: "Mark item as read when selection changes" is enabled.
- So you have to uncheck this option.
- When you unmark the option, all Outlook Inbox email will remain unread until you click twice on any mail to open it in your own Window.
Steps in Microsoft Outlook 2007
- Open "Microsoft Outlook"
- Click on "Tools" >> "Options…".
- Click on "Other" tab >> go to 'Outlook Panes' section
- click on "Reading Pane…".
- Now, uncheck the "Mark item as read when selection changes".
Increase or Decrease mark as read delay time
If you are reading the message in preview pane and want that the mail automatically marked as read but not at that time when you are quickly going through the emails, then you can set a delay time by enabling the "Mark items as read when viewed in the Reading Pane" option in Outlook,
As you seeing above in screenshot, you can set the delay time as per you requirement.
For Example: When you are quickly going through the mail, suppose you click on any email and reading it in preview pane and you already know the approximate reading time taken (in this case, we are considering 10 seconds). Then, you have to set the time 10 second not 5 second.
If you set the 5 second and keep previewing email even after time expiration, then the message automatically marked as a read or count in marked items.
Short Commands to mark as read/unread Outlook Inbox Mail
In addition to the above Outlook menu options, you can also play with keyboard button to mark the emails read or unread.
- To Mark the selected message as Read: CTRL + Q or CTRL + Enter.
- To Mark the selected message as Unread: CTRL + U.