{"id":3553,"date":"2015-12-30T08:15:12","date_gmt":"2015-12-30T16:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.michaellinenberger.com\/blog\/?p=3553"},"modified":"2017-05-30T13:40:06","modified_gmt":"2017-05-30T20:40:06","slug":"compact-layout-in-the-outlook-inbox-what-it-is-and-how-to-use-it-video-also-available","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.michaellinenberger.com\/blog\/compact-layout-in-the-outlook-inbox-what-it-is-and-how-to-use-it-video-also-available\/","title":{"rendered":"Compact Layout in the Outlook Inbox: What it is and How to Use It (Video Also Available)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dec 30, 2015 <\/strong>(updated May 30, 2017)<\/p>\n

[A Video version of this article has been added for paid MYN Outlook Video Training<\/a> subscribers, see the new Lesson 26 here<\/a> (login required)]<\/p>\n

Windows Desktop Outlook has an Inbox feature called<\/strong> Compact Layout<\/strong> that can help you better scan your list of Inbox mail. You\u2019ll know it is active in the Inbox when the Inbox list view shows two lines for each email item, as I show here:<\/p>\n

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[Update: 5\/30\/2017: Microsoft just auto-updated Outlook 2016 so that the headers in the above figure are no longer there. The header section in Compact Layout now looks as in the figure below (the part inside the Red box is what is new). This does not change anything in this article, but a number of people have commented recently\u00a0on this change. I see no way to go back to the older header design. It looks like Microsoft is trying to match the layout\u00a0with the online version of Outlook].<\/p>\n

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With default Outlook settings, this Compact Layout view is turned on<\/em> automatically when your Outlook window is relatively narrow, which is good when using a tablet. And it is turned off<\/em> automatically when your Outlook window is made wider, such as when on a larger-screen computer. But you can change when and how it shows, which I teach below.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Non Compact Layout <\/strong><\/p>\n

Non compact layout shows one line per email message, as I show here:<\/p>\n

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If you are currently using a moderately-wide computer screen, try dragging your Outlook window wider and narrower right now, to witness this change taking place. (You might have to minimize the Reading Pane to make this change happen).<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get Compact Layout confused with Outlook\u2019s message preview or auto preview<\/a> feature by the way. The latter is used very little these days due to html email being so common\u00a0(which defeats the feature).<\/p>\n

Why Compact Layout<\/strong><\/p>\n

With Compact Layout turned on, the two prominent lines shown are the From <\/em>column at the top (which is the sender information), and the Subject<\/em> column or title of the email at the bottom. The idea of course it that by placing the sender name and subject top to bottom when the screen is narrow, you can see more of each. Otherwise, one or both might be truncated in a single line.<\/p>\n

There is other email information also shown in Compact Layout, too; it\u2019s shown off to the right. For example, the date of the message is always show there. And there are symbols<\/em> shown to indicate when there is an attachment, or when the flag is set, or what if any Outlook category is set. If none of those apply to the email, you’ll see no symbols off to the right.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll also see that all column names at the top of the list view are hidden<\/em> in compact layout; but those column names are<\/em> displayed in single-line layout.<\/p>\n

Which is Better? It Depends<\/strong><\/p>\n

Which is better, Compact Layout, or single-line layout? That depends on your personal preference and what type of computer you are using. For me, if I am working on a computer whose screen is 12 inches or larger (so most laptops and desktops), and if using a mouse or touchpad, I prefer the non-compact, single-line mode. Why?<\/p>\n

First of all, it\u2019s easier to set categories in the Inbox in single-line mode because you can right click in the Category column that is displayed in that mode. Instead, to set a category in compact layout, I need to select the email and choose Categorize from the Home tab, which is an extra click on each email. That can add up if categorizing a lot of items.<\/p>\n

Single Line Layout Better for Rapid Cleanup<\/strong><\/p>\n

Also, when I first address a full inbox, I like single line layout for rapid cleanup. You see, the way I clean the Inbox quickly is to make an initial scan of all the new mail, and in that scan I delete or file as much mail as possible just by speed reading the sender name and the subject title of the email\u2014without opening and reading the mail<\/em>. I can do an amazing amount of fast cleanup that way. Then I go back and read only the remaining mail. I find that a quick triage scan like that is much easier to do in single-line mode. That\u2019s because I can see more messages more quickly in single line mode, and I can shift select many junk messages at once to delete them at once. And as I said, I can categorize much faster in single-line mode, which I do a lot during a cleanup. Also, it\u2019s easier for me to triage via the subject or sender names when each are in their own vertical columns.<\/p>\n

Compact Layout Better for Tablets<\/strong><\/p>\n

But on a Windows tablet<\/em> with a small screen, like on the Surface 3 (the non-Pro version), I prefer Compact Layout because, with each message being 2-lines tall the messages are easier to tap on, with my finger, without accidently hitting the message above or below them. And in general, on a small screen like that, I like being able to see the full sender name and full email subject, as provided by Compact Layout.<\/p>\n

Favored Too Much in Default Outlook Settings?<\/strong><\/p>\n

So Compact Layout is a pretty good feature, especially with tablets. However, with default Outlook settings, I feel that the Compact Layout is favored too<\/em> much, particularly in newer versions of Outlook. What I mean by that is that even when the Inbox pane isn\u2019t that<\/em> narrow, even on a relatively wide screen, the two-line Compact Layout often seems to be activated. And that\u2019s a problem to me since, as I said, I prefer single line layout on a wider screen. Luckily, you can make a number of settings to Compact Layout, including one that will fix that, as I show next.<\/p>\n

Making Changes in the Settings<\/strong><\/p>\n

What can you set? You can permanently set Compact Layout on, or permanently set single-line layout on. Or you can change the threshold<\/em> width at which the view automatically switches from one to the other. The setting change I like to make is the last one, to change the threshold. I like to set it a little bit narrower so that Compact Layout only engages on a fairly narrow screen.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how to do all three of those settings.<\/p>\n

How to Change Inbox Compact Layout Settings in Outlook 2010, 2013, and 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n

First, let me show you how to open the settings window that is needed for all three of these settings.<\/p>\n

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  1. With the Inbox open, go to the View tab, then on the left side of the View ribbon, click View Settings.<\/li>\n
  2. In the View Settings window click the Other Settings button.<\/li>\n
  3. In the Other Settings window, look near the bottom for a section called Other Options. Notice the Compact Layout control there (as shown below).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    Then, with that window open, here are the possible changes I suggest:<\/p>\n