Why Isn’t Outlook’s Reading Pane Simple to Customize? Discover These Smart and Easy Solutions!

Want a Happier Outlook Inbox? How to Change Fonts, Show Calendars, & Move Your Reading Pane Fast

The Reading Pane in Outlook helps you peek at your emails right away. It sits next to your list of messages so you can read, reply, or forward emails without opening a new window. Changing the Reading Pane is quick, and you get to pick what fits best for your eyes and your schedule.

How to Change Where the Reading Pane Sits

You can put the Reading Pane:

1. On the right side, which is the usual spot.
2. At the bottom, if your screen is small.
3. Hide it, if you want your inbox tidier.

How to move or hide it:

1. Click the View tab.
2. Find Layout or Reading Pane.
3. Pick Right, Bottom, or Off to choose what you like best.

When you move the Reading Pane, it changes for all your folders.

How to Make the Font Bigger or Smaller

If the words are too tiny or too big:

Quick trick: Hold Ctrl and spin your mouse wheel up to zoom in, or down to zoom out.

In classic Outlook, use the zoom slider at the bottom-right of the pane.

In new Outlook or on the web:

1. Click View.
2. Click Zoom.
3. Use the + or – buttons to adjust the text size.

To always keep a zoom level in classic Outlook: click the percent sign (%) near the zoom slider, check “Remember my preference,” and hit OK.

How to Show Your Calendar Next to Emails

Keep an eye on your day without leaving your inbox!

Classic Outlook:

1. Click View.
2. Click To-Do Bar, then Calendar.
3. The calendar pops up on the right.

New Outlook/Web:

Click View > Layout > My Day > Show.

This puts the calendar beside your emails.

Click the three dots in the calendar pane to pick between Agenda (just a list of events) or Day (a detailed, hour-by-hour view).

Other Handy Reading Pane Tweaks

• Mark messages as read after you see them for a set number of seconds.
• Mark as read right when you switch messages.
• Use the space bar to scroll and jump to the next message.
• Always show the preview of the newest message or wait until you pick something.

To change these, look under Reading Pane Options in the View tab or in the Settings gear icon > Mail > Layout.

Troubleshooting: If the Reading Pane Hides or Won’t Show

If the Reading Pane disappears or won’t show an email:

• Double-check it’s switched on under View > Reading Pane.
• Restart Outlook.
• Reset your folder view by going to View > Reset View.
• If things still look odd, check for new updates, or create a new Outlook profile.

Key Takeaways

• The Reading Pane helps you read faster and keeps your inbox tidy.
• You can make the words bigger or smaller with simple controls.
• Show your calendar next to emails to stay organized.
• Most changes apply wherever you check email, not just in one folder.
• If something goes wrong, a quick restart or a settings check usually fixes things.

No matter how you like your Outlook, customizing the Reading Pane means you’ll spend less time searching and more time getting things done. It’s all about making your day smoother and stress-free.