When reading an email in Microsoft Outlook, if you notice that the email remains unread even after you have read it, then you are not alone. The default behavior is such that it keeps then read even when you select an item to read the message in Microsoft Outlook. In this post, we will share how you can mark those emails as read once you have selected them from the list.
Select an item to read the message in Microsoft Outlook
- Launch Outlook, and then click on File > Options.
- In the Outlook Options window that opens, switch to the Mail section from the left pane.
- Scroll to find the Outlook Panes section. In this, click on the Reading Pane button.
- Check the box which says —Mark items as read when viewed in the Reading Pane.
It will make Outlook mark email as read as you select the email and view them in the Reading Pane. In the same place, you can set a timer for the box to be marked as read. You want to get a glimpse of the email often but want to keep it unread to look back later. The Wait option delivers the same.
There is another checkbox option—Mark Item as read when selection changes. It’s checked by default, but it also marks a message as read when you select it. Uncheck to change behavior.
Do note that either of these options will remain checked. When you check Mark Item as read when selection changes, then it will uncheck the Mark item as read when selection changes box automatically.
How to mark multiple messages read in Outlook
Since you have enabled this option now, mark several messages as read. Click the first message, hold down Ctrl, and then select other messages. Then right-click and mark them as read.
While the option might sound annoying, the primary idea is that manually mark it as read. That way, you will never miss an email. I usually mark emails as unread after reading them, and there are many such emails. In my case, the option is useful.
We hope the steps were easy to follow, and you were able to select an item to read the message in Microsoft Outlook.