Incoming emails in Outlook are now all in bold type

Kellie Hamilton 0 Reputation points
2026-11-13T15:31:34.9566667+00:00

Recently, my incoming, unread emails in Outlook all appear in bold type. I want to change them back to regular type so they are not so glaringly bright! I think they were changed in an update as I did not do anything to initiate the change.

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Settings
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  1. Manoel Barros 23,460 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-11-13T16:43:19.1333333+00:00

    Hi!

    If you are using Outlook Web, there is no native option to disable the bold formatting for unread messages. It is possible that the bold text appears more intense in your case—this could be due to your browser, an extension, a specific setting, or a third-party app running on Windows.

    To investigate, check whether the issue is limited to your current browser. Try opening a different browser (such as Chrome or Edge), go to https://outlook.live.com/mail/, sign in with the same account, and see if the text still appears in bold.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-11-13T15:32:17.0566667+00:00

    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)
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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