To pin an email in Outlook on Windows 10, use the new Outlook for Windows (or Outlook on the web): hover over the message in your inbox and click the pin icon, or right-click the message and choose Pin. Pinned messages stay at the top of the folder until you unpin them. The classic Outlook desktop app doesn’t have a Pin option, so use a flag, a category, or a search folder to keep important emails easy to find.
This guide covers pinning in new Outlook and Outlook on the web, alternatives in classic Outlook, and what happened to pinning in the old Windows 10 Mail app.
Which Outlook do you have?
- New Outlook for Windows – has a New Outlook toggle or a simplified look similar to Outlook on the web. It replaced the Windows 10 Mail and Calendar apps.
- Classic Outlook – the traditional desktop app from Microsoft 365 or Office, with a File tab and full ribbon.
Pin an email in new Outlook or Outlook on the web
- Open your inbox.
- Hover over the message and click the pin icon, or right-click it and choose Pin.
- The message moves to the top of the list with a pin icon.
To unpin, hover and click the pin icon again, or right-click and choose Unpin.
Keep emails at the top in classic Outlook
- Flag – click the flag icon on a message. Flagged items appear in the To-Do Bar and the Tasks list, and you can sort by flag status (View > Arrange By > Flag: Due Date).
- Categories – right-click a message, choose Categorize, and assign a color like “Important.” Sort or filter by category.
- Search folders – Folder > New Search Folder > Mail flagged for follow up creates a folder that always shows flagged messages.
- Favorites – drag a folder of important emails to Favorites at the top of the folder pane.
What about the Windows 10 Mail app?
The old Mail app for Windows 10 had a pin option for messages, but Microsoft retired the Mail and Calendar apps at the end of 2024 in favor of the new Outlook for Windows. If you still see Mail, move to new Outlook to keep using pinning.
Pin emails on your phone
In the Outlook mobile app, swipe on a message (depending on your swipe settings) or open it, tap the three dots, and choose Pin. Set swipe actions in Settings > Swipe options.
To flag a message for recipients, see sending an email with high importance.
Troubleshooting
- No pin option – you’re using classic Outlook; use flags or categories.
- Pinned message not at the top – check that the folder is sorted by date and that you’re looking at the same folder (Focused vs. Other).
- Pins don’t sync – pins sync for Outlook.com and Microsoft 365 accounts in new Outlook; some other account types may not support them.
Frequently asked questions
How many emails can I pin?
There’s no small limit, but pinning only a few keeps them useful.
Does pinning an email mark it as important?
No. Pinning just keeps it at the top. Use Importance or flags to mark priority.
Can I pin emails in Outlook on Windows 11?
Yes, in new Outlook for Windows, the steps are the same.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.