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Outlook 2013 Absolute Beginner's Guide Diane Poremsky [Outlook MVP]

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Outlook 2016’s Attachments icons are huge

Does the huge attachment icon in the header waste too much of your screen real estate?

It’s not too bad if you are using a touch screen, since it’s an easy target for big fingers, but the attachment row is twice as large as it needs to be for desktop users.

If you use the compact header (click the caret on right), you can hide the attachments in received messages by clicking on the paperclip on the right side of the header (near the message date).

click the paperclip or the caret to show the attachments

If you are using the full header, you won't be able to hide attachments.

To show the attachments, click the paperclip again. This is a global setting, so the attachments will be hidden on every message, until you click the paperclip (or expand the header) to unhide them.

click the paperclip to hide the attachments

Published October 1, 2015. Last updated on October 1, 2015.

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DavidG

Amazing that they'd just assume that everyone wants to see big icons with no filename details in Outlook messages. Let us go back to the old style of viewing attachments in Outlook 2013! And while they're at "improving" things, give us the option to delete messages - and ALL attachments to a message - much more easily!

Vote Up21Vote Down  Reply
August 11, 2016 5:48 pm
Diane Poremsky

You should have the option to delete all attachments now (when they brought back the option to select multiple attachments) - not sure how you can make it easier to delete messages...

BTW, they are working on the icon size.

Vote Up-2Vote Down  Reply
August 12, 2016 9:23 am
lbmouse

W the F do they even need an icon? Just gives us the freaking filename and leave it alone. If it ain't broke...

Vote Up15Vote Down  Reply
April 13, 2017 1:11 pm
Uwe

Quote: "BTW, they are working on the icon size."

Ha ha.

Vote Up6Vote Down  Reply
November 15, 2017 4:33 am
Diane Poremsky

Yeah, it turns out they didn't do much for the icon size (gotta keep it big for touch screens!) but they did fix the other complaint - the full attachment file name is shown.

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
November 22, 2017 7:47 am
NFW

Ha ha indeed - still the same one year later. I don't think I believe them.

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
November 27, 2018 3:03 pm
Diane Poremsky

They are a little smaller, but not by much. :( I don't see them getting smaller now - they are making everything touch friendly.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
December 12, 2018 11:48 pm
Daniel

Dumb. I hate the compact view because you can't see all cc:ed peoples on it. Also, just give me back little baby attachments. Most people use desktops not touchscreens. It's the exception not the rule.

Vote Up36Vote Down  Reply
February 18, 2016 10:09 am
Outlook POS

no reason why they cant add a theme to get back to the old view while keeping the same function- Microsoft outdid it self again

Vote Up7Vote Down  Reply
July 7, 2016 12:54 pm
Diane Poremsky

they are working on making the buttons smallers and show the full file name, like attachments used to. This may be in an this fall i believe.

Vote Up2Vote Down  Reply
July 7, 2016 10:54 pm
Natasha

When will we be able to see the change?
This has been going on for far too long and no one seems to know when it will be implemented.

Vote Up2Vote Down  Reply
January 16, 2017 3:26 am
Diane Poremsky

It's hard to say. Some changes are slow to be released.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
January 19, 2017 2:51 pm
Alfred Strydom

Hi Diane Any idea of when the change will e out? I use a tablet and struggling with the big Icons

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
February 23, 2017 3:25 am
Diane Poremsky

No, i don't. I haven't heard anything about it lately and at this point, will believe it when i see it. :(

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
March 6, 2017 9:45 pm
Janice S.

Was just recently upgraded to Microsoft 2016 (YUK!). I've been searching for a fix for the Outlook issue and looks like it's been a problem since 2015!!! Seriously - when will this be fixed for attachments? What a waste of time when you can see all the attachments at once like the old version.!!! Help!

Vote Up2Vote Down  Reply
August 3, 2017 3:25 pm
Diane Poremsky

It won't be reverted it the old format - they will tweak the new format but I don't expect it to change much from what it is now.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
August 12, 2017 1:25 pm
Uwe

Great news!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
November 15, 2017 4:37 am

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