[Guide] Moving Outlook Navigation Bar from Left to Bottom

Are you an Outlook user who recently updated to the latest version? Did you notice that the navigation bar has moved from the bottom of the screen to the left-hand side of the Outlook window? This change may have caught you off guard, and you may find the new layout less intuitive and harder to use. Fortunately, there’s a way to move the navigation pane back to the old style at the bottom of your screen, and we’re here to show you how.

In this article, we’ll guide you step-by-step through moving the navigation bar from the left side to the bottom of your screen in the latest version of Outlook. With this easy adjustment, you can improve your workflow and make navigating your emails a breeze. So, let’s dive in!

The Reason Behind the Outlook Navigation Bar’s Move

The change in the location of the navigation bar from the bottom to the left-hand side was due to a recent update of Office. The purpose of this change was to make the design more consistent with the rest of the Office suite, such as Outlook on the Web and Microsoft Teams, which also have a vertical bar with an “App Rail” on the left.

The new location of the navigation bar offers a few more options but has received mixed feelings from users. If you wish the navigation bar to be moved back to the bottom, we’re here to get you started!

4 Ways to Move Outlook Toolbar from Side to Bottom

Start the Move via the Registry

You can use the Registry Editor to move the navigation bar from the upper left side to the bottom in Outlook. Begin by:

1. Left-click the Start button and type “regedit” in the search bar. Hit Enter to open the Registry Editor window.

2. Navigate to the following location in the Editor: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\ExperimentEcs\Overrides.

3. Right-click on the Overrides folder and choose “New String” from the drop-down menu. Name the new “Microsoft.Office.Outlook.Hub.HubBar” string from the context menu.

4. Double-click on the newly created string value to open it.

5. Once the “Edit String” dialog pops up, enter “False” in the Value Data box.

6. Click “OK” to save the changes.

7. Restart your PC.

8. Open Outlook to see if the navigation bar has moved to the bottom.

Use the Outlook Option

If you’re using the latest version of Outlook, Microsoft 365 MSO (Version 2211 Build 16.0.15831.20098), you can easily move the navigation bar back to the bottom. Thanks to a recent update, Microsoft has added an option that lets you do this in just a few clicks. Here’s how:

1. Open Outlook and click on “File” in the top left corner.

2. Select “Options” and then click on “Advanced.”

3. Uncheck the “Show Apps in Outlook” option under the “Outlook panes.”

4. Click “OK” to save the changes.

5. A prompt box will appear, reminding you to restart the application for the changes to take effect. Click “OK.”

6. Restart Outlook and you should see that the navigation bar has been moved back to the bottom.

This method was added in a recent update (December 14, 2022) and is a simple alternative to using the Registry Editor.

Run Outlook in Safe Mode

Another way you can try is to run Outlook in safe mode. To get started, here are your steps:

1. Close Microsoft Outlook on your computer.

2. Press the Windows key + R key to open the Run window, type “outlook.exe /safe,” and press Enter.

3. Select the default Outlook option in the “Choose Profile” window and click OK to open that profile.

4. Turn off the “Coming soon” option. If there’s no “Coming soon” feature on the screen, exit Safe Mode in Outlook.

5. Launch Outlook again and check whether you can move the toolbar from the side to the bottom.

Turn off the “Try It Now” Option

Microsoft had previously offered an option to roll back to the earlier build with the menu bar at the bottom when it rolled out the new UI. If you still have this option in your Outlook, you can use it to address this issue.

1. Launch Microsoft Outlook and check if the “Try it Now” toggle is enabled at the top right.
2. If the “Try it Now” toggle is enabled, disable it immediately.
3. Outlook will prompt you to restart the app. Click “Yes” to restart.
4. After restarting, the Outlook Navigation Menu Bar will shift from the left position to the bottom.

Conclusion: Moving the Outlook Bar

The recent update of Office by the Microsoft Corporation changed the location of the navigation bar in Outlook from the bottom to the left-hand side. While the change was meant to make the app bar design more consistent, many users found the new layout less intuitive and harder to use.

The good news is there are several ways to move the navigation pane back to the bottom of your screen, such as using the Outlook option, running Outlook in Safe Mode, and turning off the “Try it Now” option. Following these simple steps can improve your workflow and make navigating your emails a breeze!