New Outlook Reactions Settings: Location and Practical Limits

Outlook Reactions allow you to send a quick thumbs up, heart, laugh, or other emoji response to an email without typing a reply. This feature is now available in the new Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web. Many users want to know where to find the settings to enable or disable Reactions and what limits apply when using them. This article explains exactly where the Reactions settings are located and describes the practical limits you will encounter when sending or receiving reactions.

Where to Find the Reactions Setting in New Outlook

The Reactions setting is located in the main Mail settings section of the new Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web. This setting controls whether you can see reactions on emails you receive and whether others can react to your emails. The setting applies globally to your mailbox, not per folder or per sender.

To access the Reactions setting, follow these steps:

1. Open Outlook Settings
   Click the gear icon in the top-right corner of the Outlook window. Alternatively, select View > View Settings from the ribbon.
2. Go to Mail > Reactions
   In the Settings panel that opens on the right, click Mail in the left navigation. Then click the Reactions section. The exact label is “Reactions” with a toggle switch.
3. Toggle the Reactions setting
   Set the toggle to On to allow reactions on your emails and to see reactions from others. Set it to Off to disable the feature entirely. Changes save automatically.

The toggle is a single on/off switch. There is no granular control to block reactions from specific senders or to allow reactions only for internal emails. When Reactions are off, existing reactions on previously sent messages remain visible to the original recipients, but no new reactions can be added.

Practical Limits of Outlook Reactions

Outlook Reactions have specific limits that affect how you can use them in daily work. These limits apply to both the sender and the recipient of a reaction.

Maximum of 10 Unique Reactions Per Message

A single email message can receive up to 10 unique reaction types. The available reaction types are Thumbs Up, Heart, Laugh, Surprised, Sad, and Like. If a message already has 10 unique reactions, no additional reaction types can be added. Users can still add a reaction type that already exists on the message, but no new type can be introduced beyond the 10th unique one.

Reactions Are Not Supported in Shared Mailboxes or Public Folders

You cannot send or receive reactions in a shared mailbox or in any public folder. The feature is limited to your primary mailbox and to group mailboxes (Microsoft 365 Groups). If you try to react to an email in a shared mailbox, the reaction icon does not appear. This is a deliberate design limitation to prevent confusion over who reacted in a multi-user mailbox.

Reactions Only Work in the New Outlook and Outlook on the Web

The Reactions feature is built into the new Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web. It does not work in classic Outlook (Outlook 2019, 2021, or Outlook for Mac). If you send a reaction from the new Outlook, a recipient using classic Outlook sees the reaction as an emoji in a separate email message with a subject line like “Reaction: Thumbs Up to [original subject].” This can clutter the recipient’s inbox if they receive many reactions.

Reactions Are Not Sent to External Recipients

By default, reactions are only delivered to recipients within the same Microsoft 365 organization. If you send an email to an external contact (someone outside your organization), that external recipient cannot react to your email. Similarly, if an external sender emails you, you cannot react to their message unless they are also using Outlook in a Microsoft 365 tenant that has the feature enabled and cross-tenant reactions are configured by your IT administrator.

Reactions Disappear When the Original Message Is Deleted

If the original email message is deleted from the sender’s or recipient’s mailbox, all reactions associated with that message are also removed. There is no way to recover reactions after the message is deleted. This is because reactions are stored as metadata tied to the specific email item, not as separate messages.

Common Questions About Outlook Reactions Limits

Can I see who reacted to my email?

Yes. When you hover your mouse over a reaction icon on an email, Outlook shows a tooltip listing the names of people who sent that reaction. This works in both the new Outlook and Outlook on the web. The tooltip displays up to 10 names. If more than 10 people sent the same reaction, the tooltip shows “and [number] others.”

Do reactions affect email delivery or read receipts?

No. Sending a reaction does not change the delivery status of the original email. Reactions are independent of read receipts and delivery receipts. The sender does not receive a notification when someone reacts to their email unless they have set up a rule or are actively monitoring the message in their Sent Items folder.

Can I undo a reaction after sending it?

Yes. To undo a reaction, click the same reaction icon again on the email. The reaction is removed immediately. There is no undo confirmation dialog. If you accidentally remove a reaction, you can click the icon again to re-add it. The reaction count updates in real time for all recipients.

Item	New Outlook	Classic Outlook
Reactions supported	Yes, built-in	No, reactions appear as separate email messages
Setting location	Settings > Mail > Reactions	Not available
Maximum unique reactions per message	10	No limit (but reactions are not native)
Shared mailbox support	No	No
External recipient support	No, unless cross-tenant is enabled	No

You can now locate the Reactions setting in the new Outlook and understand the practical limits that apply when using this feature. To test Reactions, send a test email to a colleague within your organization and click the reaction icon on their reply. If you manage a team, consider disabling Reactions in Settings > Mail > Reactions to avoid confusion if team members use classic Outlook. One advanced tip: use the Outlook on the web version to see the most current Reactions interface, as the new Outlook for Windows may lag behind by a few days in feature updates.