• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Outlook Tips

Learning Microsoft Outlook One Tip At A Time

Diane Poremsky [Outlook MVP]

  • Home
  • Tips Archive
  • How to...
  • Beginner
  • Outlook.com

Tip 1107: Outlook's Touch Mode

The Office 2013 and above applications have a Touch/Mouse Mode command available on the QAT. When Touch mode is enabled, the buttons on the ribbon are a little roomier, the menus as little wider.

To display the Touch/Mouse Mode command on the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT), expand the QAT menu and select Touch/Mouse Mode.

Display the touch commandy the

To switch between Touch and Mouse modes, expand the Touch/Mouse button and select Mouse or Touch mode. (If you want to try it and don't have a touch screen, you can use the touch features with a mouse.)

Select Touch or Mouse mode

Touch bar in Outlook 2013 when Touch mode is enabled

When Touch mode is enabled in Outlook, the folder list has more white-space better folders, and a touch bar is added to the right edge, containing the commands most frequently used with messages. Users can use one hand to delete, move, reply or flag messages, tapping the buttons with their thumb while holding the tablet in their right hand. (Even this lefty took to it fairly quickly.)

The buttons, top to bottom, are Reply/Reply All/Forward menu, Delete, Move menu, Flag menu, Mark Read/Unread toggle.

Quick Delete in Touch mode

A recent update, Description of the Outlook 2013 update: September 26, 2013, which fixes the missing Navigation pane caused by installing the September updates, changed how Outlook 2013's Message list buttons work when Touch mode is enabled in Outlook 2013.

In Outlook 2013 RTM, the Message list contains Quick Flag and Quick Delete buttons to the right of each message. However, these buttons are not touch-enabled and while the Delete button displays when a user moves their finger over the X, as shown in the first screenshot, the X doesn't do anything when touched.

Buttons in Outlook 2013 RTM

After installing the September 26 2013 update, the Delete button is missing and the Flag shifts closer to the right edge.
Message list buttons are removed in Touch Mode

Published October 1, 2013. Last updated on September 18, 2016.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • More
  • Print
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • Pocket
  • Pinterest

Related posts:

touch menu in Outlook 2013Tip 1077: Outlook 2013 Touch mode Tip 567: Add Comments to Email An Outlook user had this question: “Can I set the default due date for tasks in Outlook 2007 to "None". Most of the taskTip 632: Default Tasks Due Date
Subscribe
Notify of
5 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Primary Sidebar

Search OutlookTips

Training and one-on-one assistance

Do you need help setting up Outlook or want some one-on-one training? I'm available for hire. See Training and one-on-one assistance for fees and to check availability.

All-Time Most Popular Posts

  • Windows 7 and Vista Start Search field
    How to start Outlook in safe mode
  • outlook.com icon
    Delete a message stuck in Outlook's Outbox
  • How to use Outlook's Command line switches
  • Use Cleanviews switch to reset all views
    How to Reset the View on Outlook folders
  • Where are my Outlook Files?
  • Folder paths
    How to Find Folder Paths in Outlook Mailboxes
  • How to use Scanpst.exe to repair Outlook data files
  • Outlook's Missing Holidays
  • backstage page
    Where is File tab in Outlook?
  • Icons found in the Inbox, Message Headers, and Toolbars

Footer

Recent Posts

  • Log into multiple Outlook on the web accounts
  • Keeping Hackers out of Microsoft accounts
  • Microsoft Account Closure Email
  • Outlook on the web Quick Actions moved to the right
  • Automatically sign out of Outlook.com

Recent Bug List

Microsoft keeps a running list of issues affecting recently released updates at Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in Outlook for Windows.

Office Update History

Update history for supported Office versions is at Update history for Office

Resources

Ask questions and share your knowledge in Outlook Forums.

You Might Like

Where is File tab in Outlook?
Using Two-factor authentication
Where are my Outlook Files?
How to use Outlook's Command line switches

© 2003–2025 · Outlook Tips

wpDiscuz
You are going to send email to

Move Comment