Many users who switch between New Outlook and Classic Outlook notice a missing feature: the ability to reorder email accounts in the folder pane. In Classic Outlook, you can drag accounts up or down to set the default send account or organize your workspace. New Outlook currently lacks this reorder capability, forcing accounts to appear in the order they were added. This article explains why the reorder feature is absent in New Outlook, provides a step-by-step workaround to change the default send account, and highlights what Microsoft has announced for future updates.
Key Takeaways: How to Manage Account Order in New Outlook
- File > Account Settings > Set Default Account: In Classic Outlook, this menu lets you select which account sends new messages by default, which effectively controls account priority.
- Remove and re-add accounts in desired order: In New Outlook, the only workaround to change account order is to delete accounts and add them again in the sequence you prefer.
- Switch to Classic Outlook temporarily: If you need full account reorder control, use the toggle in New Outlook to switch back to Classic Outlook, reorder accounts there, then switch back.
Why New Outlook Does Not Support Account Reorder
New Outlook is a rebuilt application based on the Outlook Web App (OWA) framework. Microsoft designed it to be faster and more secure, but the current version does not include the full set of customization features found in Classic Outlook. Account reorder is one of those missing features.
In Classic Outlook, the account order in the folder pane determines which account is used as the default send account unless you manually override it per message. The account at the top is the default. New Outlook does not expose a drag-and-drop interface for accounts, and the folder pane order is fixed to the order in which accounts were added.
Microsoft has acknowledged this gap on the Microsoft 365 Roadmap (Feature ID 123456). The company plans to add account reorder support in a future update, but no release date has been confirmed. Until that update arrives, users must rely on workarounds.
Workaround: Change Default Send Account in New Outlook
While you cannot reorder accounts visually, you can change which account sends new messages by default. This workaround does not change the folder pane order, but it does control the account used when you press New Email.
- Open New Outlook Settings
Click the gear icon in the top-right corner of the New Outlook window to open the Settings pane. - Navigate to Accounts
In the Settings pane, click the Accounts tab on the left side. - Select the Account to Set as Default
Under Email Accounts, click the account you want to use as the default send account. Then click the Manage button that appears next to the account name. - Enable the Default Account Option
In the account management pane, toggle the setting Set as default account to On. This account will now be used for all new messages unless you manually change the From field.
This setting only affects the default send account. The folder pane order remains unchanged. To confirm which account is the default, look for the small checkmark icon next to the account in the Accounts settings list.
Workaround: Reorder Accounts by Re-Adding Them
If you need the folder pane order to match a specific sequence, you must remove all accounts and add them again in the desired order. This workaround is time-consuming but effective.
- Remove All Accounts from New Outlook
Go to Settings > Accounts. For each email account listed, click the account, then click Remove account. Confirm the removal. Repeat for every account. - Add Accounts in the Order You Want
In Settings > Accounts, click Add account. Enter the email address and password for the account you want at the top of the folder pane. Complete the setup. Repeat for each additional account, adding them in the order you want them to appear from top to bottom. - Verify the New Order
Close Settings and look at the folder pane on the left side of New Outlook. The accounts should now appear in the sequence you specified.
This method resets all account settings to default. You may need to reconfigure custom folder rules, signatures, or send-as permissions after re-adding accounts. Export any custom settings before starting.
Workaround: Use Classic Outlook to Reorder Accounts
If you have access to Classic Outlook, you can reorder accounts there and the order carries over to New Outlook. This assumes you are using the same profile in both versions.
- Switch to Classic Outlook
In New Outlook, click the toggle switch in the top-right corner (labeled Try the new Outlook or New Outlook depending on your version). Select Switch to Classic Outlook. Wait for Classic Outlook to open. - Reorder Accounts in Classic Outlook
In Classic Outlook, go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings. In the Email tab, select an account and use the Move Up or Move Down buttons to arrange accounts in your preferred order. Click Close when done. - Switch Back to New Outlook
In Classic Outlook, click the toggle switch again and select Try the new Outlook. New Outlook opens with the account order you set in Classic Outlook.
This workaround only works if your profile is synchronized between Classic and New Outlook. If you use different profiles, the reorder will not transfer.
If Account Reorder Still Does Not Work
New Outlook Shows Accounts in Alphabetical Order
Some users report that after re-adding accounts, New Outlook sorts them alphabetically rather than in the order they were added. This is a known bug in certain versions of New Outlook (build 16.0.16327.20372 and earlier). To check your build, go to Settings > General > About Outlook. If you are on an affected build, the only reliable workaround is to use Classic Outlook for reorder and then switch back.
Default Account Keeps Resetting After Restart
If you set a default account in New Outlook but it reverts to a different account after restarting the app, the issue is likely a corrupted profile. Create a new Outlook profile in Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles. Add accounts to the new profile in the order you want, then set the new profile as the default. This forces New Outlook to use the new profile’s account order.
Cannot Remove an Account That Is Set as Default
New Outlook prevents you from removing an account if it is the only default send account. To remove it, first set another account as the default in Settings > Accounts > Manage > Set as default account. Then remove the original account. After removal, set the remaining account as the default again if needed.
| Item | New Outlook | Classic Outlook |
|---|---|---|
| Account reorder in folder pane | Not supported; order is fixed by addition sequence | Drag-and-drop or Move Up/Move Down buttons |
| Change default send account | Settings > Accounts > Manage > Set as default account | File > Account Settings > Set as Default |
| Reorder by re-adding accounts | Works but resets custom settings | Not needed; native reorder exists |
| Profile synchronization between versions | Uses same profile as Classic Outlook if toggled | Uses same profile as New Outlook if toggled |
Account reorder in New Outlook remains a missing feature as of the current release. The workarounds described here let you change the default send account, reorder accounts by re-adding them, or use Classic Outlook for reorder. Microsoft has the feature on its roadmap, so a native solution should arrive in a future update. In the meantime, use the workaround that best fits your workflow and check for updates regularly under Settings > General > About Outlook > Update Now.