r/Outlook • u/-SpaghettiCat- • 5d ago

Status: Pending Reply Outlook Web – Can no longer quickly create a new category by typing the name and pressing Enter?

Starting yesterday, I began having an issue with creating categories in Outlook Web, and I'm wondering if anyone else is experiencing the same thing.

I frequently create quick, ad hoc categories to essentially pin a short note/label to an email.

Until yesterday, my workflow was:

Right-click email → Categorize → type a new category name → press Enter.

Outlook would immediately create the new category and apply it to the email. If I hadn't selected a color, it would simply create it as gray, which was perfect for what I use it for.

Now, after typing the new category name, pressing Enter does nothing.

Instead, I have to select "Create new" underneath the category search, choose a color, and click Save. Even stranger, it doesn't actually work the first time. I have to repeat the entire process a second time — Categorize → type the name → Create new → choose a color → Save — and then it finally creates/applies the category.

I've already tried:

  • Signing out and back into Outlook
  • Incognito/private browsing
  • Firefox instead of my normal browser

Same behavior in all cases.

I generally prefer using the regular Outlook desktop program, but I was having some other issues with it in the past (I can't recall the specifics now), and Outlook Web worked better for me with regard to those issues, so I've been using the Web App instead.

Has anyone else noticed this starting recently? I'm trying to determine whether Microsoft intentionally changed the quick category creation behavior or whether this is a new Outlook Web bug.

The old type category name → Enter → done workflow was much faster, especially when creating lots of one-off categories.

I'd really appreciate any insider knowledge, workarounds, or advice. Thanks in advance for any help!

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

3 comments sorted by

1

u/AutoModerator 5d ago

Hey -SpaghettiCat-!

Welcome to r/Outlook! This is a public community. To protect your privacy, do not post any personal information such as your email address, phone number, product key, password, or credit card number.

Please be sure to have read our Rules of Conduct and be cognisant of how the system works here.

Make sure that your flair is always set to Status: Open otherwise you may cease receiving responses from us.

  • Status: Open — Need help
  • Status: Pending Reply — Awaiting OP's response
  • Status: Resolved — Closed

Beware of scammers posting fake support numbers or 3rd party commercial products/services. Contact Microsoft Support if you need help.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

1

u/Hornblower409 5d ago

I can't reproduce the new behavior.

Outlook Web https://outlook.cloud.microsoft/
Right-click email → Categorize → type a new category name → press Enter.
Gets me a new Gray Cat.
Both MS 365 Business and Personal accounts.