Microsoft quietly adds option to turn off Sender Pictures in Windows 10 Outlook Mail app

A couple of weeks ago, Microsoft updated its Outlook Mail and Calendar on Windows 10 devices to add contact icons that show up next to all your emails. While the new addition brings some consistency with the Windows 10 Messaging app, it seems Microsoft received some negative feedback about it.

As a result, Microsoft has quietly added an option to remove the contact icons in a new update which is now rolling out to Slow Ring Insiders. The new setting was first spotted by Reddit user screenspots, and you can see it in the screenshot below (via Windows Central).

After installing the update, you can turn off contact pictures in Settings > Reading > Conversation. This is a welcome change, as the colored contact icons (when your contacts don’t have a profile picture) don’t look that good and can be a distraction. The new version should roll out to everyone in the coming weeks, and it’s good to see that Microsoft is listening to feedback.