How to Mark All as Read in Outlook (Every Version, 2026)
Outlook lets you mark every email in a folder as read in two clicks, but the menu location and keyboard shortcuts differ by version. Here’s the flow for every Outlook client, plus how to mark just a subset and how to auto-mark messages as read on preview.
1. Outlook on the Web (Microsoft 365 / Outlook.com)
Mark an entire folder as read:
- Go to outlook.office.com and sign in.
- In the left sidebar, right-click the folder name (Inbox, or any other folder).
- Select Mark all as read.
Every unread message in that folder is marked as read instantly.
Mark just selected messages:
- Click the first message, then Shift+click the last to select a range, or Ctrl+click to pick specific ones.
- Click the three-dot menu in the toolbar (or right-click the selection).
- Select Mark as read.
2. New Outlook Desktop App (Windows & Mac)
The new Outlook desktop app uses the same approach as Outlook on the web.
Mark a folder as read:
- In the left sidebar, right-click the folder.
- Select Mark all as read.
Keyboard shortcut for selected messages:
- Click into the message list and press Ctrl+A (Cmd+A on Mac) to select all visible messages.
- Press Ctrl+Q (Cmd+T on Mac) to mark them as read.
3. Classic Outlook for Windows
Mark a folder as read:
- In the navigation pane on the left, right-click the folder.
- Select Mark All as Read.
Mark all messages across all folders:
- Go to Folder tab in the ribbon.
- Click Mark All as Read to mark every unread message in the currently selected folder. To do this across multiple folders, hold Ctrl and click each folder in the navigation pane first, then run the command.
Keyboard shortcut:
- Click into the message list and press Ctrl+A to select all.
- Press Ctrl+Q to mark as read (or Ctrl+U to mark as unread).
4. Outlook for Mac
- Open Outlook for Mac.
- Control-click (or right-click) the folder in the sidebar.
- Select Mark All as Read.
Keyboard shortcut for selected messages:
- Click in the message list and press Cmd+A to select all.
- Press Cmd+T to toggle read/unread status.
5. Outlook Mobile (iOS & Android)
- Open the Outlook mobile app.
- Tap and hold any message in the inbox to enter selection mode.
- Tap the circle at the start of each message you want to mark, or tap Select All at the top.
- Tap the three-dot menu (or the envelope icon) in the toolbar.
- Select Mark as Read.
To mark an entire folder as read: tap the folder name in the navigation drawer, then use the same select-all flow above. Some versions of the mobile app also expose a Mark folder as read option from the folder’s three-dot menu.
Quick Reference
| Version | Mark folder as read | Keyboard shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Outlook on the web | Right-click folder → Mark all as read | — |
| New Outlook desktop | Right-click folder → Mark all as read | Ctrl/Cmd+A then Ctrl+Q / Cmd+T |
| Classic Outlook (Windows) | Right-click folder → Mark All as Read | Ctrl+A then Ctrl+Q |
| Outlook for Mac | Control-click folder → Mark All as Read | Cmd+A then Cmd+T |
| Outlook mobile | Long-press → Select All → Mark as Read | — |
Mark Messages as Read Automatically
If you’d rather messages mark themselves as read when you open or preview them, change the read-status behavior in Outlook’s settings.
Outlook on the web / new Outlook desktop:
- Click Settings (gear icon) → Mail → Layout.
- Scroll to Reading pane.
- Choose when to mark items as read — for example, “Mark items displayed in reading pane as read” or after a specific number of seconds.
- Click Save.
Classic Outlook for Windows:
- Go to File → Options → Mail.
- Scroll to the Outlook panes section and click Reading Pane.
- Check Mark items as read when viewed in the Reading Pane (and set a timer if you want a delay).
- Click OK.
Outlook for Mac:
- Go to Outlook menu → Settings → Reading.
- Under Mark messages as read, choose When opened or After N seconds in the reading pane.
Common Issues
“Mark all as read” is grayed out. This usually means the folder has no unread messages, or the folder is currently syncing. Wait for sync to finish, or refresh the folder.
Marked-read count keeps reverting. If you have multiple Outlook clients connected to the same account (e.g., desktop + phone), they sync read status through the server. A delay between devices is normal — usually under a minute.
Unread count is wrong after marking all. Right-click the folder and select Update Folder Count in classic Outlook, or close and reopen the folder in newer versions. Sync metadata can lag behind the actual messages.
If your inbox has so many unread messages that “mark all as read” feels like a coping mechanism, Carly is an AI assistant that triages your inbox, drafts replies, and connects to 200+ apps.
More on Outlook: How to archive emails in Outlook · How to create rules in Outlook · How to turn on Focused Inbox in Outlook · How to use Quick Steps in Outlook · How to snooze emails in Outlook · How to block emails in Outlook
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