To stop Outlook grouping messages by conversation, go to the View tab in classic Outlook and untick Show as Conversations, then choose All folders to apply it everywhere. In the new Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web, open Settings > Mail > Layout and, under Message organization, choose to show email as individual messages. Each email then appears on its own line, sorted by date.
Applies to: classic Outlook (Microsoft 365, Outlook 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016), the new Outlook for Windows, Outlook on the web and Outlook.com, Outlook for Mac, and the Outlook mobile app. Last reviewed October 8, 2026.
Classic Outlook for Windows
- Open the folder you want to change, such as Inbox.
- Go to the View tab.
- In the Messages group, untick Show as Conversations. On the simplified ribbon, select Current view or Messages and turn off conversations.
- When asked, choose All folders to change every folder, or This folder for just the current one.
Also turn off “Show in Groups”
Outlook can also group messages under headings such as Today, Yesterday and Last Week. That’s a separate setting. To turn it off, go to View > Arrangement, open the More arrow and untick Show in Groups.
New Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web
- Select the Settings gear at the top right.
- Go to Mail > Layout.
- Under Message organization, choose Show email as individual messages.
- Select Save.
In the same place you can choose how messages inside a conversation are ordered, newest on top or newest at the bottom, if you decide to keep conversations on.
Outlook for Mac
- Open the mailbox you want to change.
- On the Organize or View menu, turn off Conversations (called Group by Conversations in some versions).
In the new Outlook for Mac, select the … above the message list and turn off Group By Conversations, or use Outlook > Settings > Reading.
Outlook mobile app (iPhone and Android)
- Tap your profile picture or mail icon at the top to open the folder pane, then tap Settings.
- Under General, tap Mail.
- Under Inbox, tap Email Organization.
- Turn off Group emails by conversation.
Older versions of the app call this Organize mail by thread.
Why turn off conversations?
- You can see each email’s date and sender at a glance instead of opening a thread.
- Replies you sent no longer appear mixed into the Inbox from the Sent Items folder.
- It’s easier to flag, move or delete one specific message.
Conversation view is useful for long back-and-forth threads, so some people keep it on in the Inbox and off in other folders. The This folder option in classic Outlook makes that easy.
Prefer to keep conversations? Tweak them instead
If threads are useful but something about them bothers you, classic Outlook has finer controls under View > Show as Conversations > Conversation Settings:
- Show Messages from Other Folders: untick to stop your sent replies appearing inside Inbox threads.
- Show Senders Above the Subject: shows who’s in the thread at a glance.
- Always Expand Selected Conversation: opens the whole thread when you click it, so you don’t miss replies.
- Use Classic Indented View: indents replies under the message they answer, like older versions of Outlook.
In the new Outlook and on the web, the Layout settings let you choose whether the newest message in a conversation shows at the top or bottom of the reading pane.
Shared mailboxes and archive folders keep their own view settings in classic Outlook. Open each one and turn off Show as Conversations there, or use Change View > Apply Current View to Other Mail Folders and tick the folders you want, including subfolders.
Troubleshooting
The setting turns itself back on
In classic Outlook, views are stored per folder. Apply the change with All folders. If it still reverts, select View > Change View > Apply Current View to Other Mail Folders.
The whole view looks wrong now
Go to View > Reset View to restore the default, then turn off conversations again. For other layout problems, see how to change the Outlook view back to normal.
The folder pane disappeared
That’s a different setting; see where your folder list went in Outlook.
Messages are still grouped under date headings
Turn off Show in Groups as described above.
Frequently asked questions
Does turning off conversations delete anything?
No. It only changes how messages are displayed.
Will it change on my phone too?
No. Desktop, web and mobile each have their own setting. Change it in each app you use.
How do I clean up a conversation without turning the view off?
In classic Outlook, select Home > Clean Up > Clean Up Conversation to remove redundant messages that are quoted in later replies.
How do I start over with Outlook’s settings?
See how to reset Outlook to default settings, or how to configure Outlook from scratch.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.