The new Outlook app for Windows 11 and 10 offers several customization options to make your email experience more visually appealing and efficient. By adjusting the appearance of icons and app names in the navigation bar, you can create a more personalized and user-friendly interface. This article will guide you through the process of enabling colorful icons and displaying app names in the new Outlook app.
Enabling Colorful Icons in the New Outlook App
Adding a splash of color to your Outlook interface can make icons more recognizable and add a personal touch to your email client. Here’s how to enable colorful icons:
Step 1: Open the Outlook app on your Windows 11 or 10 computer by searching for it in the Start menu.
Step 2: Once Outlook is open, locate and click on the gear icon (Settings) in the top-right corner of the window.
Step 3: In the Settings panel, navigate to the “General” tab and then select “Appearance” from the options.
Step 4: Scroll down until you find the “Navigation bar” section.
Step 5: Look for the toggle switch labeled “Use colorful app icons” and click it to enable the feature.
Step 6: Click the “Save” button at the bottom of the Settings panel to apply your changes.
After completing these steps, you’ll notice that the icons in your Outlook navigation bar have become more vibrant and colorful, making them easier to distinguish at a glance.
Displaying App Names in the Navigation Bar
In addition to colorful icons, you can also choose to display app names next to the icons in the left navigation bar. This can be particularly helpful for quickly identifying different sections of Outlook. Here’s how to show app names:
Step 1: Open the Outlook app and click on the gear icon to access Settings, just as you did for enabling colorful icons.
Step 2: Navigate to “General” > “Appearance” in the Settings panel.
Step 3: In the “Navigation bar” section, find the toggle switch for “Show app names”.
Step 4: Click the toggle to turn on the “Show app names” feature.
Step 5: Click “Save” at the bottom of the Settings panel to apply your changes.
Once you’ve completed these steps, you’ll see the names of the apps (such as Mail, Calendar, and People) displayed next to their respective icons in the navigation bar.
Customizing Outlook’s Color Theme
While you can’t change individual icon colors in Outlook, you can modify the overall color theme of the application to further personalize your experience. Here’s how to change the color theme:
Step 1: Open Outlook Settings by clicking the gear icon.
Step 2: Go to “General” > “Appearance”.
Step 3: Look for the “Theme” or “Modern themes” section.
Step 4: Choose from the available color options to change the overall look of your Outlook app.
Step 5: Explore both Modern and classic themes to find one that suits your style.
Step 6: After selecting your preferred theme, click “Save” to apply the changes.
Additional Customization Tips
To further tailor your Outlook experience, consider these additional customization options:
- Adjust the layout density in Settings > General > Appearance to control how compact or spacious your Outlook interface appears.
- Experiment with different background images available in the Appearance settings to further personalize your Outlook experience.
- Enable Dark Mode by going to Settings > General > Appearance and selecting “Dark” under the Theme or Mode section. This can be particularly useful for reducing eye strain during nighttime use.
Remember that the Mail and Calendar modules will always appear at the top of the navigation list, but you can rearrange the order of other modules by right-clicking and holding to move them up or down.
By customizing the colorful icons and app names in the new Outlook app for Windows, you’ve created a more personalized and efficient email environment. These visual tweaks, combined with other appearance settings, allow you to tailor Outlook to your specific preferences, potentially improving your productivity and overall user experience.