![Diane Poremsky [Outlook MVP]](http://www.outlook-tips.net/images/2014/MVP_BlueOnly.png)
Many Outlook desktop options are accessed from the File tab. When someone asks the question "Where is File tab?", it's almost a certainty that they are using Outlook on the web (formerly known as OWA, or Outlook.com) in their browser, not Outlook on the desktop. (A few might be using older versions of Outlook, but it has a File menu, so they would find the menu but not the command.)
The File tab is part of the ribbon in Outlook 2010 and up and opens the "Backstage" page where many of the account options are. This replaces the old Tools menu in earlier versions of Outlook.
If you are using Outlook on the web, there is no File tab. All options available to you are on the menu under the Gear icon.
Some commands may be in the overflow menu () when an item is selected.
Published December 30, 2015. Last updated on May 5, 2017.
I have never been able to access a toolbar in an outlook email. There is nothing about a toolbar or ribbon under the gear icon either. No "three dots" no "ribbon icon"...nothing. I have opened every icon and area I can find and there is no hope of a toolbar which is crappy because I cannot add fonts to my emails, and the outreach emails, that I work so hard on, get changed around to suit the limited fonts available in outlook. No one can seem to tell me how to get a toolbar when I have none of the… Read more »
Do you know what version of outlook you are using? Are you using a browser or Outlook desktop?
Can you post a screenshot of your outlook?
How do I turn off the file tab in older versions of Outlook? It is so annoying.
You can't turn it off. What is annoying about it? There might be a problem that you can fix.
There is no file option on the gear setting for my outlook previously Hotmail on the web
The File tab is only in Outlook desktop, not in the web version. All of the options available are under the gear icon > View all settings.
Hi! Thanks for the info! However, I'm trying to change my display name when I send emails. Through the gear I figured out how to change my name, but it's still not appearing corrected. Any insight?
It's a bug in Outlook.com - if you sign out then sign back in, it will usually update within a couple of hours. But it can take longer. I had a piano emoji in my name and changed it to a flower - after 2 weeks, i still had the piano in Outlook.com. I removed the emoji and it took about 24 hours for Outlook.com to update to no emoji. I added the flower back and it eventually synced.
Hi, there this post was really useful thanks I thought I was going mad when I had no ribbon on my outlook. My problem however I still cannot fix I clicked on the gear went to general all I want to do is make Outlook my main email client no option. I am working on a Chrome book/ Microsoft 365 and it likes to force me to use Google products.
You are using outlook on the web - the ability to make it the default mail client requires a browser extension, such as Mailto:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/mailto/gppbppehiogfokmpligejhaepeopajdf?gppbppehiogfokmpligejhaepeopajdf