Select emails box has disappeared

Donna Pahl 60 Reputation points
2026-10-20T18:22:20.78+00:00

I used to be able to hit a box, select several emails and delete them all at the same time. How do I get it back?

Outlook | Outlook for mobile | Outlook for iOS | For home
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AI answer

2026-10-21T02:47:45.6666667+00:00

In Outlook for iOS, long-press any email to enter selection mode, then tap each additional email you want to delete.

  1. Open your Inbox.
  2. Press and hold one email, or tap its circle icon if visible.
  3. Tap the other emails you want to select.
  4. Tap the trash can to delete them together.
  5. To select every displayed message, tap More (…) and then Select All.
  6. Tap the left arrow at the upper-left to exit selection mode. ^1^

The selection circles may therefore not need to remain permanently displayed; long-pressing a message activates them.

References

  1. How do I select multiple emails? | Microsoft Support
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Answer accepted by question author
Ian-T 15,695 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-10-20T23:44:11.26+00:00

Hi @Donna Pahl

In Outlook for iOS, the selection boxes may remain hidden until you enter selection mode:

  1. Press and hold any email, or tap the sender’s circular icon.
  2. Tap the other emails you want to remove.
  3. Tap the trash can icon to delete them.

You can also tap the three dots and choose Select All if that option appears

Hope this helps, please feel free to let me know if you need any further help

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  1. TA Forrest 5 Reputation points
    2026-10-28T04:22:06.23+00:00

    This is easier:

    In Hotmail/Outlook

    Go to File > Settings.

    Navigate to Mail > Message list

    Under Layout, it asks how do you want messages to appear. Select the Checkboxes option.

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    20+ people found this answer helpful.

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