How to Change the Outlook View to Show Sender Names

To show who sent each email in Outlook for Windows classic, open the folder, choose View > Change View > Single, then select View > View Settings > Columns. Add From to the displayed columns and confirm. The sender name will appear as a column in the message list. In new Outlook and Outlook on the web, check the message-list setting for showing sender names instead.

What You’ll Need

Outlook open to the mail folder you want to adjust, such as Inbox or Sent Items.
Permission to change the view. In a work or school account, some settings or shared-folder views may be controlled by your organization.
A moment to identify which Outlook version you are using. The classic Windows app, new Outlook, Outlook on the web, and Outlook for Mac have different controls.

Step-by-Step

Identify your Outlook version. If the app has a File tab at the upper left and a traditional ribbon, you are probably using classic Outlook for Windows. The newer app has a simpler interface and may be labeled Outlook (new) in Windows. Outlook opened in a browser is Outlook on the web. Use the matching instructions below; changing a view in one folder or app does not necessarily change it everywhere.
Open the folder whose message list needs the sender column. Select Inbox, or another mail folder, in the folder pane. The view settings apply to the folder you have selected, so make sure you are not adjusting a different folder by mistake. If you want the same arrangement in several folders, repeat the relevant steps for each one.
In classic Outlook for Windows, choose a view that supports columns. Select the View tab, then Change View and Single. Single view presents messages in a list with columns, making it useful when you want the sender displayed in a dedicated field. You can also stay with Compact view if the sender is already visible on each message row; the dedicated-column instructions below are most useful when the sender is missing or you want a column-based layout.
Open the column settings. On the View tab, select View Settings, then select Columns in the Advanced View Settings dialog. If the button is not visible, check that you are in a mail folder and on the View tab. In some window sizes, ribbon commands may be grouped or hidden; widening the Outlook window can reveal them.
Add the From field. In the Columns dialog, use the Select available columns from list to choose All Mail fields if needed. Select From in the available-columns list, then choose Add. The displayed-columns list shows the fields that will appear in the message list. If From is already in that list, do not add a second copy; select the existing entry instead.
Put From where it is easy to scan. Select From in the displayed-columns list and use Move Up or Move Down to position it. For example, placing it near Subject makes it easy to compare the sender and topic. The exact order is a matter of preference, and you can return to this dialog later to change it.
Save the change and check the list. Select OK to close the Columns dialog, then select OK again to close Advanced View Settings. Look at several messages and confirm that the sender column appears. If the name or address looks cut off, widen the column by dragging the boundary between its heading and the next column.
In new Outlook or Outlook on the web, check the message-list layout. Select the gear-shaped Settings button, then open Mail > Layout. Find the Message list section and turn on Show sender names, if that option is available in your version. Close Settings and inspect the message list. Microsoft can update these screens, and a work account may have a slightly different layout or available options. If the setting is absent, check whether the sender is simply hidden by a narrow reading pane or a compact list layout before changing other settings.
On Outlook for Mac, inspect the column menu. Open the mail folder, then use the macOS menu bar’s View menu and look for Columns or a sender-related display option. If From is listed, select it. Outlook for Mac changes its layout controls between versions, so the exact menu may differ; if you do not see a Columns option, check the app’s View settings and make sure the message list is not in a layout that hides columns.

For any version, test the result in the folder where you made the change. A sender may be shown as a display name, an email address, or both, depending on the layout, the message, and how the sender is saved in your contacts. The goal is to make the sender identifiable in the list; Outlook may not display a complete address in a narrow column.

Common Mistakes

Changing the wrong folder’s view: Classic Outlook view settings are often specific to the selected folder or a group of folders. If the Inbox looks right but another folder does not, select that folder and repeat the setup. Do not assume a change to Inbox automatically changes every mail folder.

Adding the wrong field: Outlook offers fields such as To, From, and Sender. In a normal received-mail list, From is usually the field people mean when they ask who sent a message. To identifies recipients, and the separate Sender field can be relevant to messages sent on behalf of someone else. If the person shown seems unexpected, confirm which field you added and inspect the message details.

Expecting the sender to appear in the reading pane: These instructions change the message list, not the contents of an open email. To see the sender while reading, open the message or expand its header details. A column is intended to help you identify messages before opening them.

Resetting the whole view too soon: A reset can remove other customizations, such as column order, sorting, or filters. Try adding or repositioning From first. Use a reset only if you are comfortable losing the view changes you made previously.

Tips

Give the From column enough width to show useful names. If every sender appears as a few letters followed by an ellipsis, drag the column boundary to widen it, or reduce the width of a less important column. You can often double-click a column boundary to fit its width to the contents, though the result may be wider than you want when a folder contains long names.

Pair the sender column with a useful sort order. In classic Outlook, select a column heading to sort by that field; selecting it again may reverse the order. Sorting by From groups messages by sender, while sorting by Date keeps recent mail prominent. Changing the sort is separate from adding the column, so check both if the list looks different from what you expect.

Use a small test before adjusting several folders. Make the change in Inbox, confirm the result, and then decide whether you want it in other folders. If you rely on a shared or custom view, note its current layout before editing so you can restore the arrangement if necessary.

If you use a narrow screen, a compact message list may be more practical than adding several columns. Outlook can hide or compress fields when the window is small. Maximize the app or close an unnecessary pane before concluding that the sender setting did not work.

Troubleshooting

The From column is missing from the list: In classic Outlook, reopen View > View Settings > Columns, set the available-field category to All Mail fields, and look again. Make sure you are editing a mail folder rather than Calendar or Contacts. If the column is already in the displayed list, it may be off-screen; check the horizontal position of the list and the column order.

The sender column is present but blank or confusing: Check a few different messages. A message sent through a mailing list, shared mailbox, or on behalf of another person may have sender information that differs from the simple name you expect. Open the message and expand its header details to inspect the From and, where shown, Sender information. Also verify that the column is From rather than To or another field.

The name is cut off: Widen the column, make the Outlook window larger, or reduce the number of columns. A display name can take more space than an email address. If you need the full address for one message, open it rather than relying on the abbreviated text in the list.

The change disappears after switching folders: The selected view may not apply to that folder. Repeat the change while the other folder is selected. In classic Outlook, you can review the available choices under View > Change View; avoid applying a broad view change to all folders unless that is actually what you want.

You cannot find the named setting or button: Confirm whether you are in classic Outlook, new Outlook, Outlook on the web, or Outlook for Mac. Their controls are not interchangeable, and work or school administrators may limit some options. Update Outlook if your organization permits it, reopen the correct mail folder, and look for the equivalent message-list or column setting. If a setting is missing from new Outlook or the web version, use classic Outlook’s Columns dialog if it is available to you.

The sender appears only after you open a message: Check whether the list is showing a compact or conversation-style layout that emphasizes the subject. In new Outlook or Outlook on the web, revisit Settings > Mail > Layout and review the Message list options. In classic Outlook, use Single view and confirm that From is in the displayed-columns list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Outlook show the subject but not the sender?
Some layouts give the subject more room or place it first in the message row. In classic Outlook, add the From column or use Compact view, where sender information is normally part of the row. In new Outlook and the web version, review the Message list settings under Mail > Layout.

Can I show both the sender name and email address?
You can often see more detail by widening the From column, but the list may still show only a display name. Open the email and expand its header details to verify the full address. The exact list display depends on the Outlook version and the information attached to that message.

Will changing the view affect the messages themselves?
No. Adding or moving a column changes how the folder displays messages; it does not edit, move, or delete email. It also does not change what the sender sees or how replies are addressed.

Can I make the sender column appear in every folder?
Possibly, but behavior depends on the Outlook version and the views assigned to your folders. The reliable approach is to check each important folder and repeat the change where needed. Be cautious with options that apply a view to multiple folders, because they can also alter other display choices.

What is the difference between From and Sender?
From is the usual field for identifying the author of a received email. Sender can differ in cases such as mail sent on behalf of another person or through certain systems. For everyday inbox scanning, start with From; inspect the message headers if the two identities matter.

Does the sender view change sync to my phone?
Not necessarily. Outlook mobile has its own message-list layout, and column settings from desktop Outlook generally do not create a matching desktop-style column on a phone. Check the mobile app’s display settings separately if you want sender details to be easier to see there.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

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