Incoming emails in Outlook are now all in bold type

Unread messages appear in bold by design in Outlook.com, and there is currently no documented setting to display unread messages in regular type while keeping them unread.^1^

The bold text is part of the message list, not the font formatting inside an email. Consequently, changing the default composition font or browser zoom will not affect it.

Available options

• Mark messages as read: Select one or more messages, right-click, and choose Mark as read. Their entries should then appear in regular type.
• Mark mail as read automatically: Open Settings (gear icon) and search for Mark as read. If that setting is available in your current Outlook.com interface, choose when messages should be marked as read.
• Adjust the overall appearance: Go to Settings > Mail > Layout to review display density, message-list formatting, and Reading Pane options. These can make the Inbox less visually intense, but they do not provide a separate regular-font setting for unread mail.^2^

Conditional Formatting is not a suitable workaround for this specific requirement. In Outlook on the web, such rules apply to both read and unread messages rather than overriding only the default unread style.^3^

The available documentation does not establish that an update caused the change. If unread messages previously appeared in regular type, submit the change through Help > Feedback in Outlook.com; there is no supported web setting currently documented to restore that appearance.

References

1. View only unread messages in Outlook | Microsoft Support
2. Change the look of your mailbox in Outlook.com and Outlook on the web
3. [Web](https://support.microsoft.com/outlook/mail/use-conditional-formatting-rules-to-change-incoming-messages-in-outlook)