How to get delete icon visible in Outlook for iOS

Caerolle Claudel 40 Reputation points
2026-10-23T21:26:44.0733333+00:00

I don't know if Microsoft has 'updated' Outlook for iOS or what, but now when I select an email, I have to open a menu to delete the message. The ones that are visible are Flag, Mark, and Move. I have no idea what Mark even is, and don't care. I actually do not need that, or Flag. OTOH, I use Delete multiple times a day and am not happy that I have to open a menu for something that just used to be right there. Given that it is 1) a mobile app, so unlikely to be flexible in the least, and 2) Microsoft, I am assuming this is just how we live now. However, I would love to hear that somehow I can get the Delete icon back. I wonder if Copilot wasn't there the Delete icon would show up even with the other useless stuff there, but of course Copilot is going to be shoved down our throats no matter what.

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

2026-10-23T21:27:50.8933333+00:00

Move Delete into one of the visible positions using Outlook for iOS’s action-sheet customization; the newer bottom action bar replaced the previous fixed top actions and supports reordering.

Put Delete on the visible action bar

  1. Open a message in Outlook for iOS.
  2. Open the three-dot (…) action menu at the bottom.
  3. Select the option to customize or reorder actions.
  4. Move Delete into one of the first visible positions, ahead of Flag, Mark, or Move.
  5. Save or close the customization screen, then reopen a message and confirm that the trash icon appears on the bottom bar.

The updated conversation-action interface was rolled out through January 2026, moving actions into a customizable toolbar at the bottom.^1^ Outlook’s February 2026 iOS release notes also refer specifically to improvements in action sheet customization, confirming that this customization is part of current builds.^2^

If the customization option is absent, update Microsoft Outlook from the iOS App Store first. Outlook mobile features can be rolled out gradually, so two devices on apparently similar versions may receive an interface change at different times.^2^

If Delete still cannot be placed there

Set Delete as a swipe action, which avoids opening the menu:

  1. Tap Inbox at the top to open the side panel.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Select Mail → Swipe Options. In some versions, Swipe Options appears directly under Settings.
  4. Select Swipe Left or Swipe Right.
  5. Choose Delete.

You can then delete directly from the message list with one swipe.^3^

For multiple messages, long-press one message, select the others, and tap the trash icon. Microsoft’s current iOS guidance still documents the trash icon in selection mode.^4^

Mark changes a message between read and unread. There is no indication that removing or disabling Copilot would restore the Delete icon; the placement is associated with the redesigned conversation-action interface rather than the Copilot button.

References

  1. Updated Conversation Actions in Outlook for iOS - Microsoft Q&A
  2. Release notes for Outlook mobile
  3. How do I customize my swipe options? | Microsoft Support
  4. How do I delete an email? | Microsoft Support
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