How can I return to an empty inbox after viewing emails?

Question

How can I return to an empty inbox after viewing emails?

King, David W. (Student) 25

I'm not sure how to phrase this, but in past versions of outlook, after I was done viewing an email, I could leftclick on 'inbox' and it would return to the background again. Now, clicking on inbox does nothing, and continues to show whatever email I selected.

e.g. I select an email in my inbox like this, and when I'm done reading it, I don't want to see it anymore.

Screenshot (146)

So I used to leftclick 'inbox' and it would bring me back to this:

Screenshot (172)

But that was past versions. Now, when I'm done reading emails, I can't see this background anymore unless I close the tab and reopen outlook. And it stays on this (or whatever other email I select):

Screenshot (146)

It's been bugging me for months and I don't know what setting can change it, if it can still be changed.

0 comments

Answer accepted by question author

0 additional answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Hornblower409 16,200

@King, David W. (Student) said

I was done viewing an email, I could leftclick on 'inbox' and it would return to the background again. Now, clicking on inbox does nothing, and continues to show whatever email I selected.

Thanks for the pics, but I'm still not exactly sure what you are trying to describe. What happens if you press ESC? Does that close/hide the current email so the "background" is visible again?

You talk about "when I'm done reading emails" but all your pics are of (what looks to be) a compose window.

I know I'm missing something. Can you try describing it a different way to help me understand?

King, David W. (Student) 25 Reputation points

2026-09-25T11:20:56.8366667+00:00

Esc worked! Way simpler than I though it'd be, but I had gotten used to left clicking on inbox to do the same, so I didn't think of other ways to do it.

And I just used the compose window for the example of what I'd see, I didn't want to use any actual emails.