Clutter and Focused Inbox

1. Comparison of Clutter and Focused Inbox Feature [menu]

Both features, by analyzing your previous dealing with emails, try to separate messages that you are likely to ignore or that you usually handle later. This allows you to concentrate on dealing priority emails. You can also save time by handling low-priority emails at leisure.

Both features cannot be enabled at the same time.

Clutter feature moves low-priority messages from the Inbox to the Clutter folder.

Focused Inbox visually divides your Inbox into two tabs: Focused and Other.

The Clutter folder does not need mail clients customized, while the newer Focused Inbox assumes editing of the client (in older mail clients, you will see all the emails in the Inbox).

Microsoft prefers to use Focused Inbox – as long as you are using a web interface and newer mail clients. The Clutter feature should be discontinued in 2020.

Both features are initiated for incoming emails only after checking incoming mail for SPAM and executing your rules.

2. How to Turn the Clutter Feature on/off [menu]

The Clutter folder cannot be removed. You can only enable/disable the Clutter feature, i.e. whether incoming mail should be analyzed and the less priority emails should be put in the Clutter folder. Settings can only be made via the web interface. Open Options in the top gear bar. In the newly opened page, in the left column below the mail, click Clutter:

>>>mail_25

It can now turn the feature on (to separate items identified as clutter) or off (not to separate items identified as clutter).

3. Focused Inbox – Support in Clients [menu]

The Focused and Other tabs are supported in the following mail clients (as of August 2017):

• web interface (unless you have a simplified version of the web interface)
• Outlook for Android,
• Outlook for IOS,
• Outlook for MAC – version 15.26 or newer,
• Outlook 2016 for Windowsn – version 16.0.7967.2xxx and newer – i.e. Outlook installed from Office 365.

When using other mail clients, all inboxes appear in your Inbox without separating them into the Focused and Other tabs.

4. Focused Inbox – Turning on/off [menu]

For a detailed description, including images for both the web interface and Outlook, see the article Priority Inbox in Outlook.

5. Learn How to Teach Clutter or Focused Inbox Features [menu]

Emails from superiors and subordinates are always considered as priority/focused messages. For other emails, the feature notices whether you are the only recipient, what the importance of the letter is and other attributes. Based on your handling of similar emails in the past (whether you read them, exchanged emails with the sender, whether you did not skip similar emails when handling mail), it is decided whether the new incoming message is a priority/focused or not.

The feature constantly learns and adapts to your habits. It may take several days or weeks to adapt to your expectations. However, you can still help the Clutter feature learn your preferences faster:

• When you see a message that accidentally reached the Clutter folder or the Other tab, right-click it and choose Move to Inbox/Move to Focused Inbox.
• Conversely, if you see a low-priority email in the Inbox or the Other tab, right-click it and choose Move to Clutter/Move to Other Inbox.

You can move emails in the web interface, Outlook and mobile mail clients.

6. Articles and Links [menu]

• Description of the Focused Inbox feature in Office 365
• Help for Clutter Feature
• What is the Office 365 Clutter feature?
• FAQ: Answers to common Office 365 Clutter questions