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How to Enable or Disable Colorful Icons in Outlook App

Richard
Written by
Richard
Dec 6, 2024 Updated Sep 15, 2026 2 min read
How to Enable or Disable Colorful Icons in Outlook App
How to Enable or Disable Colorful Icons in Outlook App

Colorful icons in the Outlook app add bright brand colors to your folders and messages, but you can switch them to a simple dark gray if you prefer a plain look. This appearance setting changes how your mailbox folders and items look in the newer version of Outlook for Windows.

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⚡ Quick Answer

Open Outlook, click the Settings gear icon in the top right, navigate to General, then Appearance. Use the toggle in the Navigation bar section to switch colorful icons On or Off, then click Save.

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What is the New Outlook App?

Beyond email management, the revamped client handles calendar week numbers, search history, and background notifications.

Why Change Your Icon Style?

Switching to dark gray icons can help reduce power consumption on laptops, though any speed boost is negligible.

How to Turn Colorful Icons On or Off

Turning colorful icons in Outlook on or off takes just a few clicks through the app settings. Open Outlook, click the Settings gear icon in the top-right corner, select General in the sidebar, and click Appearance to switch between colorful and dark gray icon styles right away.

  1. Open the Outlook app. Click its icon in the Start menu or search for it in your taskbar .
Open Outlook app in Windows 11
Open Outlook app in Windows 11
  1. Look at the top right corner of the menu bar. Click the Settings gear icon.
Outlook settings button in the app
Outlook settings button in the app
  1. In the Settings sidebar, click General. Then select Appearance.
Outlook appearance settings menu showing options for navigation bar icons
Outlook appearance settings menu with general and appearance options.
  1. Find the Navigation bar section. You’ll see a toggle button. Switch it On for colorful icons or Off for dark gray icons.
Outlook colorful app icons button
Outlook colorful app icons button
  1. Click Save to keep your changes.
New Outlook app interface displaying enabled colorful navigation bar icons
New Outlook app interface displaying enabled colorful navigation bar icons
New Outlook app interface with colorful icons disabled for gray
New Outlook app interface with colorful icons disabled for gray

Your icon preference is now saved.

Summary

Using colorful icons in Outlook lets you personalize your app appearance to match your style. You can switch back and forth between colorful and dark gray icons whenever you want through the general settings menu to keep your inbox looking fresh and easy to navigate.

  • Modern Design: The new Outlook has a fresh, easy-to-use interface.
  • Your Choice: Pick colorful icons or dark gray icons based on what you prefer.
  • Easy Access: The settings are simple to find and change in just a few steps.
  • Boost Performance: Dark gray icons can help your computer run faster.
  • Make It Yours: Customize Outlook to match your style and work better for you.

Personalizing Outlook takes only a few clicks to make the workspace function according to personal preferences.

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Richard

About the Author

Richard

Tech Writer, IT Professional

Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.

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