--- title: How do I show or hide the Reading Panel in Outlook Desktop and mark an email as read or unread description: Opening a message by double clicking will mark a message as read. You can also change when emails are marked as read in the Reading Panel. --- [Skip to content](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/outlook-desktop-reading-pane#main-content) English Show submenu for translations [![dioceseofstalbans-technology\_474x247-1](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/hs-fs/hubfs/dioceseofstalbans-technology_474x247-1.png?width=192&height=100&name=dioceseofstalbans-technology_474x247-1.png)](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/?hsLang=en) - [🎟️Raise Support Ticket](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/tickets-new) - [🎫My Tickets](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/tickets-view) - [🧠Knowledge Base](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [🎟️Raise Support Ticket](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/tickets-new) - [🎫My Tickets](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/tickets-view) - [🧠Knowledge Base](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/) - English Show submenu for translations - [My Tickets](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/tickets-view) [My Tickets](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/tickets-view?hsLang=en) How can we help? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [IT Help](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/?hsLang=en) 2. [Software & Services](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/software-services?hsLang=en) 3. [Emails](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/software-services?hsLang=en#emails) # How do I show or hide the Reading Panel in Outlook Desktop and mark an email as read or unread ## Opening a message by double clicking will mark a message as read. You can also change when emails are marked as read in the Reading Panel. ### Contents - [Turn on, turn off, or move the Reading Pane](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/outlook-desktop-reading-pane#reading-panel) - [Change the zoom level of the Reading Pane](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/outlook-desktop-reading-pane#zoom) - [Reading Pane options for marking as read](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/outlook-desktop-reading-pane#options) - [Manually change a message as read or unread](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/outlook-desktop-reading-pane#manual) - [Mark all messages in a folder as read or unread](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/outlook-desktop-reading-pane#folder) - [Reading Pane and Reading Options video tutorial](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/outlook-desktop-reading-pane#video) --- ### Turn on, turn off, or move the Reading Pane - **To turn on or move the Reading Pane:**   On the **View** tab, in the **Layout** group, select **Reading Pane**, and then select **Right** or **Bottom**. - **To turn off the Reading Pane:** On the **View** tab, in the **Layout** group, select **Reading Pane**, and then select **Off**. ![](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Jul-28-2025-08-16-42-0921-AM.png?width=670&height=139&name=image-png-Jul-28-2025-08-16-42-0921-AM.png) --- ### Change the zoom level of the Reading Pane 1. Open an email in the Reading Pane. 2. At the bottom-right corner of Outlook, click the Zoom slider (or click the percentage). 3. Set it to your desired level. 4. To keep this level, check the box: **Remember my preference** 5. Select **OK** **![](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Feb-02-2026-04-22-33-3678-PM.png?width=491&height=356&name=image-png-Feb-02-2026-04-22-33-3678-PM.png)**   --- ### Reading Pane options for marking as read 1. On the **View** tab, in the **Layout** group, select **Reading Pane**, and then select **Options**. ![](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Sep-17-2024-12-58-03-1478-PM.png?width=186&height=188&name=image-png-Sep-17-2024-12-58-03-1478-PM.png) 1. Alternatively go to **File** \> **Options** \> **Mail** (on left) \> **Reading Pane...** (on right) 2. Choose your desired settings: ![](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Sep-17-2024-01-00-07-1698-PM.png?width=377&height=222&name=image-png-Sep-17-2024-01-00-07-1698-PM.png) 1. **Mark items as read when viewed in the Reading Pane** 1. Choose how long the message is marked as read after it appears in the Reading Pane. 2. Tick to enable and enter the number of seconds from 0 to 999. 3. Untick to disable. 2. **Mark item as read when selection changes** 1. Mark a message as read immediately after it appears in the Reading Pane. 2. Tick to enable or disable. Enabling will disable the delay (2a). 3. **Single key reading using spare bar** 1. Single key reading using the space bar lets you move quickly through your messages in the Reading Pane. Each time that you press the space bar, the Reading Pane content scrolls down one page. At the end of the item, pressing the space bar opens the next item from your message list. 4. **Always preview messages** 1. Tick to always view a messages in the Reading Pane when selected. 2. Untick for manual control on when to preview messages. 3. Restart Outlook for the change to be in effect. --- ### Manually change a message as read or unread 1. Right-click the message. 2. Click **Mark as Read** or **Mark as Unread**. 3. To mark several messages as either read or unread at once, click the first message, hold down **Ctrl**, click the other messages, and then select the option you want. 4. Repeat to toggle a message status from read to unread and back again. --- ### Mark all messages in a folder as read or unread 1. From the folder pane, select a folder (only one at a time). 2. Click any message in the list of messages, and then press **Ctrl**+**A** to select everything in the folder. 3. Right-click the selected messages. 4. Select **Mark as Read** or **Mark as Unread**. --- ### Reading Pane and Reading Options video tutorial > Learn how to change the email mark as read behavior in Outlook. Outlook can be set to only mark emails as read once they are opened instead of viewed in the reading pane. --- Related Links - **[Microsoft Support: Use and configure the Reading Pane to preview messages \>](https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/use-and-configure-the-reading-pane-to-preview-messages-2fd687ed-7fc4-4ae3-8eab-9f9b8c6d53f0#:~:text=Turn%20on%2C%20turn%20off%2C%20or%20move%20the%20Reading%20Pane&text=Do%20one%20of%20the%20following,then%20select%20Right%20or%20Bottom.)** - **[Microsoft Support: Mark a message as read or unread \>](https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/mark-a-message-as-read-or-unread-59b44298-08c2-4eb7-8128-ea0fb7f52720#:~:text=Click%20File%20%3E%20Options%20%3E%20Advanced.,the%20Reading%20Pane%20check%20box.)** - [Communications](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/communications?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Branding](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/communications?hsLang=en#branding) - [Devices](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/devices?hsLang=en#main-content) - [All Devices](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/devices?hsLang=en#all-devices) - [Computer](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/devices?hsLang=en#computer) - [iPhone, iPad & Android](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/devices?hsLang=en#iphone-ipad-android) - [Personal](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/devices?hsLang=en#personal) - [Links](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/links?hsLang=en) - [Software & Services](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/software-services?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Artificial Intelligence (AI)](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/software-services?hsLang=en#artificial-intelligence-ai) - [Calendars & Tasks](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/software-services?hsLang=en#calendars-tasks) - [CMS & Database](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/software-services?hsLang=en#cms-database) - [Emails](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/software-services?hsLang=en#emails) - [Files](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/software-services?hsLang=en#files) - [Meetings](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/software-services?hsLang=en#meetings) - [Finance](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/software-services?hsLang=en#finance) - [Forms](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/software-services?hsLang=en#forms) - [PDFs](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/software-services?hsLang=en#pdfs) - [Printing & Scanning](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/software-services?hsLang=en#printing-scanning) - [Security & Data Protection](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/software-services?hsLang=en#security-data-protection) - [SharePoint & OneDrive](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/software-services?hsLang=en#sharepoint-onedrive) - [Staff](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/software-services?hsLang=en#staff) - [Teams](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/software-services?hsLang=en#teams) - [Teams Phone](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/software-services?hsLang=en#teams-phone) - [Video Conferencing](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/software-services?hsLang=en#video-conferencing) - [Website](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/website?hsLang=en) - [Contact](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/contact?hsLang=en) [![Chill listening crop-3](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org/hs-fs/hubfs/apple-touch-icon-1.png?width=24&height=24&name=apple-touch-icon-1.png "Chill listening crop-3")](https://help.stalbansdiocese.org?hsLang=en) St Albans Diocesan IT Team Copyright © 2026, Diocese of St Albans