What is BU Email Focused Inbox?


With BU Email accounts, Microsoft uses machine learning to 'sort' incoming emails, within the Microsoft Outlook Client (desktop or Mobile) or the Outlook Web Access (aka Office 365 Webmail)  

  • the messages Microsoft thinks that are highly important to you are in the 'Focused' Inbox section
  • whereas the less-important emails are placed within the 'Other' section of your inbox.


Focused Inbox for Outlook on Computer


Turn Focused Inbox on

  1. In Outlook, select the View tab.

  2. Select Show Focused Inbox.

    Show Focused Inbox

    The Focused and Other tabs will appear at the top of your mailbox. You’ll be informed about email flowing to Other, and you can switch between tabs any time to take a quick look.

    Filter Focused or Other




Change how your messages get organized

  1. From your inbox, select the Focused or Other tab, and then right-click the message you want to move.

  2. If you're moving from Focused to Other, select Move to Other if you want only the selected message moved. Select Always Move to Other if you want all future messages from the sender to be delivered to the Other tab.

    If you're moving from Other to Focused, select Move to Focused if you want only the selected message moved. Select Always Move to Focused if you want all future messages from the sender to be delivered to the Focused tab.
    Side-by-side view of the Move and Always Move options




Focused Inbox for Outlook on Web


Turn on Focused Inbox

  1. Open Outlook.com, Hotmail.com, or Outlook on the web.

  2. At the top of the page, select Settings Settings icon > Mail > Layout.

  3. Under Focused Inbox, select Sort messages into Focused and Other.

  4. At the top of your mailbox, in the email messages list, select between Focused and Other. You can switch between the tabs any time to take a quick look.

    A screenshot shows the Focused and Other tabs at the top of an Outlook.com mailbox.

Change how your messages get organized

  1. From your inbox, select the Focused or Other tab, and then right-click the message you want to move.

  2. If you're moving a single message from Focused to Other, select Move > Move to Other inbox. Select Always move to Other inbox if you want all future messages from the sender to be delivered to the Other tab.

    A screenshot shows the right-click menu with the options for Move to Other inbox and Always move to Other inbox.

    If you're moving a single message from Other to Focused, select Move > Move to Focused inbox. Select Always move to Focused inbox if you want all future messages from the sender to be delivered to the Focused tab.

    A screenshot shows the right-click menu with the Move to Focused inbox and Always move to Focused inbox options.