You pin an important email in the new Outlook for Windows, but it disappears from the top of your inbox. This happens when the pinned emails setting is not saved correctly. The issue is often related to a temporary glitch in the app’s local data or a specific account setting. This article explains how to restore and lock your pinned emails in place.
Key Takeaways: Fixing Unpinned Emails
- Repair the local app data: Resetting the new Outlook cache can resolve the underlying data corruption causing pins to reset.
- Verify your account mode: Pins are stored on the server only in Cached Exchange Mode, preventing loss when you switch devices.
- Use the three-dot menu > Pin: This is the correct method to pin an email; dragging items will not create a permanent pin.
Why Pinned Emails Keep Unpinning Themselves
The new Outlook stores your pinned emails preference as part of your mailbox view settings. When this setting fails to persist, it is usually due to one of two technical reasons. The primary cause is corrupted local app data. The new Outlook maintains a local cache to speed up performance, and if this cache becomes damaged, user interface states like pinned emails can reset.
The second reason involves your account configuration. For Microsoft 365 work or school accounts, the “pinned” state is saved to the Microsoft Exchange server only if you use Cached Exchange Mode. If you are in Online Mode, the pin is stored locally on your computer. This means the pin will not follow you to another device and can be lost if the local data is cleared.
How Pinning Works in the New Outlook
Pinning is a view filter, not a property of the email itself. When you pin a message, you instruct Outlook to keep it at the top of your inbox regardless of its received date. This filter is applied to your view of the folder. The app must successfully write this view setting to your local profile and, for Exchange accounts, sync it to the server. A failure in this write or sync process results in the pin being forgotten.
Steps to Fix and Secure Your Pinned Emails
Follow these steps in order to resolve the unpinning issue and ensure your pins stay in place.
- Repair the local app cache
Close the new Outlook completely. Press Windows key + R, type%localappdata%\Packages\Microsoft.OutlookForWindows_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCacheand press Enter. Rename the “LocalCache” folder to “LocalCache_Old”. Restart Outlook. This forces the app to create a fresh cache, which often fixes the pin setting corruption. - Verify your account is in Cached Exchange Mode
Click your profile picture and select Settings. Go to Accounts and select your primary email account. Under Advanced settings, ensure the toggle for Download email for offline use is turned ON. This is Cached Exchange Mode. It ensures your pins are saved to the server. - Re-pin your emails correctly
In your inbox, hover over the email you want to pin. Click the three-dot menu (…) that appears on the right side of the message preview. Select Pin from the dropdown menu. A pin icon will appear next to the message, and it will move to the top of your inbox view. - Restart the Outlook application
After re-pinning your emails, fully close and restart the new Outlook. Open your inbox to confirm the pinned messages remain at the top. This tests whether the setting is now being saved correctly.
Common Mistakes and Things to Avoid
“I dragged an email to the top, but it didn’t stay”
Dragging an email within the inbox list only changes its position temporarily. This action does not activate the official “Pin” feature. You must use the three-dot menu or the right-click context menu and select the Pin option. Only this method creates the persistent view filter.
“My pins are gone after using Outlook on the web”
Pins created in the new Outlook for Windows are not currently synchronized with Outlook on the web. They are separate clients with independent settings. A pin set in the desktop app will not appear in your browser, and vice versa.
“The Pin option is grayed out or missing”
This usually indicates you are not in a standard mail folder like the Inbox. The Pin feature is only available for folders that support sorting by date, such as the Inbox, Sent Items, or custom mail folders. It is not available in the Focused Inbox view or in non-mail folders like Calendar or People.
Cached Exchange Mode vs Online Mode for Pinned Emails
| Item | Cached Exchange Mode | Online Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Where pin is saved | Microsoft Exchange server | Local computer only |
| Sync across devices | Yes, pins appear on other Outlook instances | No, pins are device-specific |
| Survives cache reset | Yes, re-downloads from server | No, pins are lost |
| Performance impact | Uses local storage for faster search | Relies on network, can be slower |
| Recommended for | Primary work computer, reliable pinning | Temporary or shared devices |
You can now keep your most critical emails anchored to the top of your inbox. Ensure Cached Exchange Mode is enabled for server-side saving of your preferences. If the problem returns, use the Windows Run dialog to clear the LocalCache folder again. For advanced management, explore creating a custom search folder for your most important senders as a backup to pinning.