How to Change the Outlook View to Show a Message Preview

To show a message preview in Outlook, turn on the Reading Pane: in new Outlook for Windows, select View > Layout > Reading Pane, then choose Right or Bottom. In classic Outlook, use View > Layout > Reading Pane. If you mean the short text snippet shown beside each message in the inbox, adjust the message preview setting instead. These options let you read more of an email without opening it, or see more of each message in the list.

What You’ll Need

Outlook for Windows, Outlook for Mac, or Outlook on the web, with an account and mailbox open.
A message list, such as the Inbox. The Reading Pane displays a selected message beside or below this list.
If you use a work or school account, your organization may manage some layout settings. The controls can also vary slightly as Microsoft updates Outlook.

Step-by-Step

Decide which kind of preview you want. The Reading Pane opens the selected email within the Outlook window, so you can read its body without opening a separate message. Message preview, sometimes called preview text, shows only a few lines of the email in the message list. You can use either or both. If you want to read an email alongside your inbox, follow the Reading Pane steps below. If you want extra text under each subject, go to step 6.
Open your Inbox. Select Inbox or another mail folder in the folder list. Switching folders first makes it easier to see how the layout will affect your usual message list. If the folder list is hidden, expand it using the navigation control at the left of Outlook.
Open the View controls. In new Outlook for Windows, select the View tab on the ribbon. Choose Layout, then locate Reading Pane. In classic Outlook for Windows, select View on the ribbon, then choose Layout > Reading Pane. The classic version may show the same command directly under the View tab, depending on ribbon layout.
Choose where the preview appears. Select Right to place the Reading Pane beside the message list, or Bottom to put it below the list. Choose the position that leaves enough room to read comfortably. If the pane is already displayed but is taking up space, return to the same menu and select Off. Outlook normally applies the choice as soon as you select it.
Select a message to check the result. Click a message in the list. Its contents should appear in the Reading Pane without opening a separate window. If the pane is narrow, drag the divider between it and the message list to resize it. In a bottom layout, drag the horizontal divider to give the message more vertical space. The pane can show message text and, when available, attachments and other message details.
Set the Reading Pane in Outlook on the web if needed. Open Outlook in your browser and select Settings, usually the gear icon near the top right. Go to Mail > Layout, find the Reading pane setting, and choose a position such as right, bottom, or hidden. Close Settings if prompted, then select a message to confirm the change. The exact labels can differ between Outlook on the web and the new Outlook app, but both use a Reading Pane layout setting.
Set the Reading Pane in Outlook for Mac if needed. In Outlook for Mac, open the View menu and look for Reading Pane, then choose a position or turn it off. In some releases, the relevant controls are under Outlook > Settings > Reading. Choose the available pane position and return to the mail list to test it. Menu wording can vary with the Outlook update and whether you are using the new or legacy Outlook for Mac experience.
Show more text in the message list if that is the preview you meant. In classic Outlook for Windows, select View > Message Preview, then choose the number of lines to display, such as one, two, or three. Outlook may ask whether to apply the setting to the current folder or all mailboxes; choose the scope you prefer. In new Outlook or Outlook on the web, open View > View settings and look under Mail > Layout for Message preview or a similarly named option. Select the desired preview amount if your version offers it. On Mac, check Outlook’s View or Reading settings for a message-list preview option; not every Mac release offers the same line-count control.
Review the layout in the folder you use most. Select a few messages, including one with a longer body, and make sure the pane or snippet is visible and readable. If the message list looks cramped, switch the Reading Pane from Right to Bottom, reduce the number of message-preview lines, or turn the pane off when you need a wider list. A layout that works on a large monitor may feel crowded in a narrow window.

Common Mistakes

Confusing the Reading Pane with message preview text. These are separate features. The pane displays the selected email’s body; message preview adds a short excerpt to each row in the inbox. Turning on the pane will not necessarily add extra lines beneath every subject. Use the option that matches what you want to see.

Looking for a setting under the wrong version’s menus. Classic Outlook, new Outlook, the web app, and Mac do not always put the controls in the same place. First confirm which Outlook experience is open. New Outlook resembles the web app, while classic Outlook has its older desktop ribbon and may show Message Preview directly on the View tab.

Choosing a pane position that hides useful columns. A Right pane can make the message list too narrow, especially in a small window or with many columns. Try Bottom or maximize the Outlook window before concluding the preview option is not useful.

Expecting every email to show a full preview. The Reading Pane shows the selected message, not a full preview of every message at once. A message-list snippet is limited to a few lines and may not include images, blocked content, or the whole email. Select a message to read its full available contents.

Assuming the setting changed every folder or device. Some view settings apply to a folder, a mailbox, or a particular Outlook app rather than everywhere. Check the folder where you noticed the issue, and repeat the setup in another app if you use Outlook on multiple devices.

Tips

Use Right when you want the inbox and email body visible side by side; use Bottom if the message list needs more horizontal room.
Resize the pane with the divider rather than immediately changing the font or display zoom. This preserves the rest of your Outlook layout.
Pair a Reading Pane with one or two lines of message preview if you want to scan sender, subject, and opening text quickly. If the list becomes too dense, reduce the snippet lines.
Consider privacy before leaving the Reading Pane open on a shared screen. A selected message can be visible to anyone looking at your display.
Check Outlook’s Reading Pane options if messages are marked as read as soon as you select them. In some versions, you can change when an item is marked read; the exact location and choices vary.
If you cannot find a command, maximize the window or expand the ribbon. A simplified or collapsed ribbon can hide options, and Microsoft occasionally moves controls between updates.

Troubleshooting

The Reading Pane option is missing. Check whether you are using classic Outlook, new Outlook, Outlook on the web, or Outlook for Mac, then follow the matching path above. In a narrow window, expand the ribbon or its overflow menu. If the command remains unavailable on a managed work account, ask your Microsoft 365 administrator whether the setting is restricted.

The pane is enabled, but no email appears. Select a message in the list; the pane does not display a message until one is selected. If the area is blank, select another email, check that the pane is not extremely narrow, and use the divider to enlarge it. A message may also be unavailable if it has not loaded or your connection is interrupted. Reconnect, refresh Outlook on the web, or close and reopen the app.

The message list has no extra preview lines. Look for the separate Message Preview or Message preview control rather than changing the Reading Pane. If your Outlook version does not offer a line-count setting, use the Reading Pane to inspect the selected email instead. A compact view, small window, or narrow list may also make snippets hard to notice.

Your change does not stick. Make the change while the intended mail folder is selected, then check whether Outlook asks which folders should use the view. Restart the app if its display has not refreshed. For Outlook on the web, reload the page and confirm the setting again. If settings revert repeatedly in a work environment, an administrator policy or shared mailbox configuration may be responsible.

The preview makes messages seem to mark as read unexpectedly. Open the Reading Pane settings and review the mark-as-read behavior, if that control is available in your version. You may be able to change the delay or disable marking as read when the selection changes. If you do not see such a control, avoid leaving messages selected until you have checked the app’s reading settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I show a preview pane in Outlook?
Open View and choose Layout > Reading Pane, then select Right or Bottom. In Outlook on the web, the setting is under Settings > Mail > Layout.

How do I show a preview of each email without opening it?
Turn on the Reading Pane and click a message in the list. The selected email appears within Outlook. To see only a short excerpt beneath each subject, change the separate message-preview setting if your version provides it.

Can I show more lines of an email in the inbox?
Classic Outlook for Windows provides a View > Message Preview option with line-count choices. New Outlook and Outlook on the web may offer a message-preview setting under View settings and Mail layout. Availability and labels vary by version.

Can I put the preview below the message list?
Yes. Choose Bottom in the Reading Pane layout menu, where that option is available. This is often helpful when the right-side pane makes the inbox columns too narrow.

Can I turn the Outlook preview pane off again?
Yes. Return to the Reading Pane menu and choose Off or the equivalent hidden setting. This removes the message body pane but does not necessarily disable message snippets in the inbox.

Will changing the preview mark emails as read?
It can, depending on your Reading Pane settings. Look for a mark-as-read option in Outlook’s reading settings and adjust the timing if available. The setting does not behave identically in every Outlook version.

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