How to Enable Reactions on Email Threads in New Outlook

You want to use emoji reactions like thumbs up or heart on email threads in the new Outlook for Windows or Outlook on the web. This feature lets you respond quickly without typing a reply or forwarding the message. Reactions are not enabled by default for all users or organizations. This article explains how to turn on reactions in your Outlook settings and what to do if the option is missing.

What Are Email Reactions in New Outlook

Email reactions let you send a small emoji such as like, heart, laugh, surprised, sad, or thumbs down in response to an email. The reaction appears as an icon on the message in both the sender’s and recipient’s inbox. No separate reply is created, which reduces inbox clutter. This feature works only with the new Outlook for Windows version 1.2023 or later and Outlook on the web. It does not work in classic Outlook, Outlook for Mac, or Outlook mobile.

Reactions are sent as a lightweight notification. The sender sees who reacted and with which emoji. Recipients can see reactions from others on the same thread. The feature is part of Microsoft 365 and requires an Exchange Online mailbox. Users on standalone Exchange Server or without a Microsoft 365 subscription cannot enable this feature.

Steps to Enable Reactions in New Outlook

1. Open Outlook settings
   Launch the new Outlook for Windows or go to Outlook on the web. Click the gear icon in the top-right corner of the window. Select View all Outlook settings at the bottom of the settings pane.
2. Go to Mail > Reactions
   In the Settings window, click Mail on the left sidebar. Scroll down and click Reactions. This page shows a single toggle labeled Allow reactions on email.
3. Turn on the toggle
   Click the toggle switch so it turns blue and shows On. A confirmation message may appear stating that reactions are now enabled for your mailbox. Click Save at the top of the window if prompted.
4. Close settings and restart Outlook
   Close the Settings window. Restart Outlook to apply the change fully. On the web, refresh the browser tab.
5. Test a reaction on an email
   Open any email in your inbox. Hover over the message header area or click the three dots More actions button. Click the smiley face icon that appears. Select an emoji from the picker. The reaction appears on the message immediately.

If the Reactions Toggle Is Missing or Grayed Out

If you do not see the Reactions section in Mail settings, or the toggle is grayed out and cannot be clicked, your Microsoft 365 administrator has disabled reactions at the tenant level. Only an admin can re-enable the feature. Contact your IT department and ask them to check the messaging policy in the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Admins can enable reactions by following these steps:

1. Go to the Microsoft 365 admin center
   Open a browser and go to admin.microsoft.com. Sign in with a global admin or Exchange admin account.
2. Open Exchange admin center
   In the left navigation, expand Health and then select Exchange admin center. Alternatively, go directly to admin.exchange.microsoft.com.
3. Navigate to Messaging policies
   In the Exchange admin center, go to Mail flow > Message policies. Look for a policy named Default or your organization’s custom policy.
4. Enable reactions in the policy
   Open the policy. Find the setting for Email reactions. Set it to On. Click Save.
5. Wait for propagation
   Changes may take up to 30 minutes to apply across the tenant. Users must restart Outlook or refresh the web page.

What to Do When Reactions Still Do Not Appear

I enabled reactions but the smiley face icon is missing

If the toggle is On but you cannot see the reaction icon on any email, you may be viewing a message that does not support reactions. Reactions only work on emails sent to you directly or to a group you belong to. They do not work on encrypted emails, emails from external senders outside your organization, or emails in shared mailboxes unless the mailbox is a user mailbox with full access permissions. Check that the email is not encrypted by looking for a lock icon in the message header.

Reactions work on my sent emails but not on incoming ones

This happens when the sender of the incoming email is outside your organization or uses a classic Outlook client that does not support reactions. Reactions are a server-side feature. The sender’s client must be able to render the reaction notification. If the sender uses Outlook 2019, Outlook 2016, or Outlook for Mac, they will not see your reaction. You can still send the reaction, but the sender will only see it if they open the email in new Outlook or Outlook on the web.

Reactions are enabled but the toggle turns itself off

This indicates a group policy or a tenant-level setting that overrides your personal preference. Your organization may have a script that resets the reactions setting periodically. Contact your IT administrator to check for any PowerShell scripts or Intune policies that disable reactions. The admin can use the Set-OrganizationConfig cmdlet with the -ReactionsEnabled parameter set to $true to enforce the setting for all users.

New Outlook Reactions vs Classic Outlook Reactions: Key Differences

Item	New Outlook	Classic Outlook
Availability	Windows (new) and web	Not available
Emoji set	Like, heart, laugh, surprised, sad, thumbs down	N/A
Sender visibility	Sees who reacted and which emoji	N/A
Encrypted emails	Not supported	N/A
Admin control	Exchange admin center policy	N/A

Reactions are an exclusive feature of the new Outlook client and Outlook on the web. Classic Outlook does not have any built-in reaction capability. If your organization requires reactions but uses classic Outlook, users must switch to the new Outlook or use the web version.

Now you can enable reactions on email threads in new Outlook by adjusting your personal settings or asking your admin to update the tenant policy. After enabling the feature, use the smiley face icon on any supported email to send a quick emoji response. For advanced control over reactions, admins can configure the messaging policy in the Exchange admin center to allow or block reactions for specific groups.