Classic Outlook Account Reorder in New Outlook: What to Do Until It Arrives

If you have used Classic Outlook for years, you have likely built a muscle-memory habit of dragging accounts into a specific order in the folder pane. When you switch to New Outlook, you will discover that the account reorder feature is missing. Microsoft has confirmed that account reordering is not yet implemented in New Outlook, though it is planned for a future update. This article explains why the feature is absent, what you can do right now to manage multiple accounts, and how to prepare for the feature when it arrives.

Why Account Reorder Is Missing in New Outlook

Classic Outlook allows you to drag any account to a new position in the folder pane. This feature is part of the legacy Windows desktop code that New Outlook does not use. New Outlook is a completely rebuilt application based on the web platform, and Microsoft is porting features in phases. Account reorder has not been added to the feature backlog for the initial releases. Microsoft has stated that account reorder is on the roadmap but has not provided a specific release date.

The technical reason is that New Outlook uses a single unified folder tree instead of separate account sections. In Classic Outlook, each account has its own expandable folder group. In New Outlook, all accounts share one flat or grouped tree, and the order is determined by the order in which you added each account. The underlying data structure does not yet support reordering without removing and re-adding accounts.

What You Can Do Right Now to Reorder Accounts

Until Microsoft adds the reorder feature, you have three options to control account order.

Option 1: Remove and Re-Add Accounts in Your Preferred Order

This is the only method that changes the account order in New Outlook. You must remove all accounts and add them back one by one, starting with the account you want at the top.

1. Open Account Settings in New Outlook
   Click the gear icon in the top-right corner to open Settings. Select Accounts > Email accounts.
2. Remove Each Account
   Click the three dots next to an account and select Remove. Confirm the removal. Repeat for every account you want to reorder.
3. Add Accounts in the Desired Order
   Click Add Account and enter the credentials for the account you want at the top. After it finishes syncing, add the next account. Continue until all accounts are added.

The order in the folder pane will match the order you added them. The first account you add will appear at the top. This method is time-consuming if you have many accounts, but it works reliably.

Option 2: Use Classic Outlook for Account Reordering

If you need to reorder accounts frequently, switch back to Classic Outlook. You can toggle between the two versions without losing data.

1. Open the Toggle Switch
   In New Outlook, click the toggle switch in the top-right corner labeled Try the new Outlook. If it is already on, click it to turn it off.
2. Open Classic Outlook
   Outlook will restart in Classic mode. Your accounts, folders, and settings from New Outlook remain intact.
3. Reorder Accounts in Classic Outlook
   Drag any account up or down in the folder pane. The order is saved immediately.

When you switch back to New Outlook later, the account order from Classic Outlook does not carry over. New Outlook rebuilds the order based on the account add sequence. This workaround is best for users who only need reordering temporarily while performing a specific task.

Option 3: Do Nothing and Wait for the Feature

If you do not need a specific account order for your daily workflow, you can leave the accounts as they are. Microsoft adds new features to New Outlook every few months through Microsoft 365 updates. The account reorder feature is likely to appear in a future release. You can check the Microsoft 365 Roadmap website for the official status of this feature.

If You Still Need Account Reorder After Trying These Options

The workarounds above cover most scenarios, but some users encounter specific problems when managing multiple accounts.

New Outlook Shows Accounts in Alphabetical Order Instead of Add Order

Some users report that after adding accounts in a specific sequence, the folder pane still displays them alphabetically. This behavior occurs when you have connected accounts from different providers, such as Gmail and Yahoo, alongside Microsoft 365 accounts. New Outlook groups accounts by provider type in some versions. The only workaround is to remove and re-add all accounts of the same provider type together.

Removing an Account Also Removes Its Archived Folders

When you remove an account from New Outlook, all folders associated with that account, including archive folders, are removed from the folder pane. Your data remains on the server, but you must re-add the account to see those folders again. Before removing accounts for reordering, note which accounts have archive folders you access frequently.

Classic Outlook and New Outlook Account Order Conflicts

If you switch between Classic Outlook and New Outlook, the account order in each version is stored separately. Changing the order in Classic Outlook does not affect New Outlook. You must maintain two separate mental maps of account order if you switch versions regularly.

Item	Classic Outlook	New Outlook
Account reorder method	Drag and drop in folder pane	Remove and re-add accounts
Order persists after restart	Yes	Yes, based on add sequence
Order carries between versions	No	No
Feature release status	Available now	Planned, no date set
Ease of reordering	One-second drag	Several minutes per account

Until Microsoft adds account reorder to New Outlook, the remove-and-re-add method is the only direct way to change the account sequence. For users who reorder accounts daily, switching to Classic Outlook remains the most efficient option. Check the Microsoft 365 Roadmap periodically to know when the drag-and-drop reorder feature arrives in New Outlook.