Microsoft pushes often for accessibility and inclusiveness, which I love. But recently, it bungled a change in the web-based version of Outlook while pursuing this goal.
In August, Outlook on the web abruptly killed the Off option for the reading pane (along with other refreshes to settings and aesthetics). Instead, the choices became Right, Bottom, and Fill Screen.
I got switched automatically to a right-aligned reading pane. Looking over that list, you might assume, as I did, that your options are sharing part of the screen with the reading pane (Right or Bottom) or most of the screen (Fill Screen).
Nope.
The fix is both the easiest and the dumbest thing. You have to switch to Fill Screen.
Fill Screen is functionally the same as hiding or turning off the reading pane. Clicking on an email switches the view to it, while closing it shows your full inbox or folder’s message list.
PCWorld
To switch, you can go about it in one of two ways;
- In the main screen for Outlook for web, click on View > Layout > Reading Pane > Fill Screen.
- Alternatively, click on the gear icon at the upper right of the main screen. Then choose Layout (if not already autoselected). Scroll down to Reading Pane, then select Fill Screen.
The first method is fastest, but the second method also lets you easily adjust other message list and reading settings, like conversation threads, behavior after you delete or mark an item as read, and message list layout.
I feel exasperated after spending a month limping along with the reading pane. (I can’t see as much info on the screen, which causes me to miss messages in the list and be slower at identifying which are priorities.) Yeah, I could have tried all the options out earlier on to figure this out. But I trusted my command of the English language to my own detriment.
I take comfort that while Microsoft believes people will automatically equate a full reading pane and a message list showing no reading pane as the same, I’m not the only one who failed to make that association. Even their own support helpers missed the mark when offering advice.
But hey, now we all know.