Outlook gets the Email Auto-advance feature to help you with email management

Microsoft Outlook will roll out in March a new Email Auto-Advance feature designed to streamline email management. In the Microsoft 365 roadmap note, the software giant describes how this feature will work:

This feature allows users to automatically open the message above the current one in the message list after performing actions like moving or deleting the current message. Users can turn this behavior on in the “Email Auto-advance” Mail setting.

So, this setting will allow you to control what happens after you take action on an email, such as deleting or archiving it. Instead of returning to the message list, you can now choose to automatically open the next or previous email, enhancing workflow efficiency.

The feature will roll gradually starting March, and it’s pretty easy to enable. To do that, hit the Home button, and select the Settings icon (the gear). Then, go to Mail > Email Auto-Advance and select the preferred option.

You can choose to open the next, the previous email, or return to the message list.

This customization aims to provide a more seamless email navigation experience, reducing the need for repetitive clicks and helping users manage their inboxes more effectively. That might not be so important if you’re a home user, but if you’re dealing with tens of emails daily, the new feature will definitely make a difference.

Microsoft also announced recently that Classic Outlook for Windows will be enhanced with AI agents.

What do you think about the new Email Auto-advance feature? Let us know in the comments below.