How to Use Reactions in Microsoft Outlook

A quick way to send an emoji

You don’t need to reply to an email directly to react to it—if you’re using Outlook, that is. Outlook users can use emojis to send a quick emotion to an email message or comment, with icons like a thumbs up, a heart, or a laugh. This can help you show appreciation, agreement, or emotion without writing a full reply.

If you want to know how to use Microsoft Outlook reactions, follow the steps below.

How to React to an Email in Outlook

Reactions are available in most Outlook versions, including Outlook online and Outlook inMicrosoft 365. You’ll also need an account with an Exchange Online mailbox to use reactions. Also, you can only react to someone in the same Exchange server as your Outlook account.

To react to an email in Outlook, follow these steps.

The reaction will also be sent to the message sender and anyone else in the conversation who has an Exchange Online mailbox. You can only send one reaction per message, but you can change it by selecting a different reaction.

How to See Who Reacted to Your Email in Outlook

If someone reacts to your email, their reaction will appear beneath the email message controls.

You can hover over an existing reaction to see more information about it (including who used it). You can also click on the reaction to open a pop-up window to view more details.

You can also see reactions to your messages in your Outlooknotifications feed. To access the notifications feed, click thebell iconin the top-right. You can filter the notifications by type, such as reactions, mentions, or replies.

How to Customize Your Reactions Settings in Outlook

You can customize some aspects of your reaction experience in Outlook by changing your settings. For example, you can choose whether or not to show reactions in your notifications feed and daily digest emails. You can also decide whether or not to allow others to react to your emails.

To change your reactions settings in Outlook, follow these steps.

Limitations to Outlook Reactions

Reactions can be a fun way to communicate with your email contacts, but they also have some limitations and drawbacks. For instance:

Using Reactions in Outlook

Reactions can help you show your feelings and opinions without having to write a full reply, but the feature is still limited, so don’t forget to catch up on essential emails with a full response, too.

Ben Stockton is a freelance technology writer based in the United Kingdom. In a past life, Ben was a college lecturer in the UK, training teens and adults. Since leaving the classroom, Ben has taken his teaching experience and applied it to writing tech how-to guides and tutorials, specialising in Linux, Windows, and Android. He has a degree in History and a postgraduate qualification in Computing.Read Ben’s Full Bio

Welcome to Help Desk Geek- a blog full of tech tips from trusted tech experts. We have thousands of articles and guides to help you troubleshoot any issue. Our articles have been read over 150 million times since we launched in 2008.

HomeAbout UsEditorial StandardsContact UsTerms of Use

How to Use Reactions in Microsoft Outlook#

How to React to an Email in Outlook#

How to See Who Reacted to Your Email in Outlook#

How to Customize Your Reactions Settings in Outlook#

Limitations to Outlook Reactions#

Using Reactions in Outlook#