How to Restart Microsoft Outlook: Your Complete Step-by-Step Guide

PDF download Download Article
How to restart Outlook, plus some troubleshooting tips
PDF download Download Article

There are many reasons you might be wondering if you can restart Outlook: Maybe the Outlook app isn't responding, you want to refresh your inbox, or you're encountering a bug or glitch. Microsoft Outlook has no dedicated restart button, but that doesn't mean restarting it isn't easy. In this article, we'll teach you how to restart Outlook on Windows, Mac, iPhone/iPad, Android, and the web. We also have included some troubleshooting tips in case Outlook won't restart.

Quick Steps

  1. Right-click the taskbar (Windows) or click the Apple menu (Mac).
  2. Select Task Manager (Windows) or Force Quit (Mac).
  3. Select the unresponsive Microsoft Outlook from the list.
  4. Click the End task (Windows) or Force Quit (Mac) button.
  5. Click the Outlook icon to open it again.
Method 1
Method 1 of 9:

File Menu

PDF download Download Article
  1. On Mac, click on the Outlook menu in the upper-left corner instead.
    • If Outlook isn't responding or won't restart, skip ahead to the Task Manager section for Windows or the Force Quit section for Mac.
  2. On Mac, click Quit Outlook at the bottom of the menu instead.
    Advertisement
  3. If Outlook is pinned to your taskbar (Windows) or dock (Mac), click the icon to open the application again. Otherwise, open Outlook from the desktop or search for it using the taskbar search bar (Windows) or Spotlight (Mac).
    4. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 9:

Keyboard Shortcut

PDF download Download Article
  1. You can use a keyboard shortcut to close Outlook, but for it to work, Outlook must be your active window.
    • The easiest way to make Outlook your active window is to click on the window or the Outlook app icon in your taskbar (Windows) or dock (Mac).
    • If Outlook isn't responding, skip ahead to the Task Manager section for Windows or the Force Quit section for Mac.
  2. Outlook will immediately close. If Outlook doesn't close, try the keyboard shortcut again, pressing each button once at a time but in quick succession.
  3. If Outlook is pinned to your taskbar (Windows) or dock (Mac), click the icon to open the application again. Otherwise, open Outlook from the desktop or search for it using the taskbar search bar (Windows) or Spotlight (Mac).
    4. Advertisement
Method 3
Method 3 of 9:

Task Manager (Windows)

PDF download Download Article
  1. There are a few ways you can do this:
    • Right-click the Windows button (in the bottom-left corner) and select Task Manager .
    • Right click the taskbar and select Task Manager .
    • Press Ctrl + Alt + Del and select Task Manager .
  2. While you can use the Task Manager to close Microsoft Outlook at any time, one of the most common times to use it is when Outlook is unresponsive. [1]
  3. Outlook will close immediately once you click the End task button.
  4. If Outlook is pinned to your taskbar, click the icon to reopen the application. Otherwise, open Outlook from the desktop or search for it using the taskbar search bar.
    5. Advertisement
Method 4
Method 4 of 9:

Force Quit (Mac)

PDF download Download Article
  1. It's the menu button that is directly to the left of the Outlook menu button.
  2. A window will pop up, showing you all the programs and processes that are currently running on your computer.
  3. While you can use Force Quit to close Microsoft Outlook at any time, one of the most common times to use it is when Outlook is unresponsive.
  4. Outlook will close immediately once you click the Force Quit button.
  5. If Outlook is pinned to your dock, click the icon to open the application again. Otherwise, open Outlook from the desktop or search for it using Spotlight.
    6. Advertisement
Method 5
Method 5 of 9:

iPhone/iPad App

PDF download Download Article
  1. How you do this depends on what model of iPhone or iPad you have:
    • Devices with a Home button: Double-click the Home button
    • Devices without a Home button: Swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen, then pause near the center of the screen
  2. Swipe left and right to scroll through your open apps until you find Outlook.
  3. Once you swipe up on the Outlook app, it will disappear. The app is now closed.
  4. You can do this by pressing the Home button again (if you have one) or by tapping on your blurred Home screen behind the open apps.
  5. If Outlook is on your Home screen or dock, tap it to open it. Otherwise, scroll to your App Library, search for Outlook, and tap the Outlook app.
    6. Advertisement
Method 6
Method 6 of 9:

Android App

PDF download Download Article
  1. It's the button with three vertical lines in the lower-left or lower-right corner of your screen.
    • You may have to long press the Overview button, depending on your Android model.
    • If you enabled navigation gestures, you can open the Overview menu by swiping up from the bottom-left of your screen and holding until Overview opens.
  2. Swipe left and right to scroll through your open apps until you find Outlook.
  3. Once you swipe up on the Outlook app, it will disappear. The app is now closed.
  4. It's the circular button in the middle of your navigation bar.
    • If you enabled navigation gestures, you can go back home by swiping up from the bottom of the screen.
  5. Swipe until you get to the screen that Outlook is on, and tap it to open it.
    6. Advertisement
Method 7
Method 7 of 9:

Web Version

PDF download Download Article
  1. You can also opt to close your web browser entirely if you prefer. If so, make sure you close the browser fully by using the File/application menu (in the upper-left corner of the screen) or by using Task Manager (Windows)/Force Quit (Mac).
    • If you exit out of your browser, make sure to open it up again before continuing.
  2. In most web browsers, you can do this by clicking the "+" button next to your currently open tab. You can also open the browser's menu and select the button that says "new tab" (or something similar).
    • You can also open a new window, if you prefer, or navigate to Outlook in the tab that you're currently in.
  3. Go to Outlook's webpage and click Sign in , then log in with your credentials.
    4. Advertisement
Method 8
Method 8 of 9:

Run Command (Windows)

PDF download Download Article
  1. Alternatively, you can search for "Run" in the taskbar search bar, or right-click the Windows button (in the lower-left corner) and select Run .
  2. Press Enter to run the command, or click the OK button.
    • This command resets Outlook's navigation pane, which will restart Outlook.
    • If you run this command when Outlook is open, it will open a second Outlook window. For best results, run this command with Outlook closed.
    3. Advertisement
Method 9
Method 9 of 9:

Troubleshooting Tips

PDF download Download Article
  1. If Outlook won't restart, you can try opening it in safe mode without any extra add-ins. If Outlook starts in safe mode, you can assume one of your add-ins is causing the issue. [2]
    • To do this, press ⊞ Win + R to open the Run window, then type Outlook /safe . Click OK to run this command.
    • Choose the default profile when prompted, then click OK .
    • Enter your password if prompted, then click Accept .
    • If Outlook starts, you can disable add-ins by going to File > Options > Add-ins .
      • Click View and manage Office Add-ins .
      • Ensure the "Manage" box says COM Add-ins , then click Go .
      • Clear all the check boxes next to your add-ins, then click OK .
      • Go to File > Exit .
  2. If starting in safe mode doesn't work, you can try creating a new Outlook profile, just in case the old one is corrupted.
    • Open the Control Panel by typing control panel in the taskbar search bar.
    • Click Mail . On Windows 11, you'll need to click User Accounts first.
    • Click Show Profiles .
    • Click Add... under the list of profiles.
    • Give your new profile a name, then click OK .
    • Fill out the information under "Auto Account Setup."
    • Click Next , then Finish .
    • In the profiles window, choose Prompt for a profile to be used under "When starting Outlook, use this profile." You will then be able to select the new profile when restarting Outlook.
  3. If you're using an old version of Outlook (such as Outlook 2016 or Outlook 2019), you will likely need to update Outlook to the Microsoft 365 version. This is because Microsoft has ended support for older versions of Outlook to access Microsoft 365 services. [3]
    • To do this when you can't open Outlook, go to https://www.office.com , sign in to your Microsoft 365 account, then click the option to download the latest version of Microsoft Office software.
    4. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      • If you press the "x" button (Windows)/red button (Mac) in the upper-right corner, the app will close but won't fully quit, and will remain running as a background process. To fully close out of the app, you can use Task Manager or Force Quit to terminate the process.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      • Resetting Outlook isn't the same as logging out. If you want to sign out of your Outlook account, check out this wikiHow article .
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Unprotect a Word Document Without the Password
      7 Ways to Use Microsoft Office for Free: Web, Mobile, & Desktop Versions
      A Complete Guide to Transferring MS Office to a New Computer
      Strike Through Text Easily in any Outlook Email Message
      How to
      Install Microsoft Office: Subscribe and Download
      How to
      Adjust Image and Object Transparency in PowerPoint
      How to
      Schedule an Email Message in Microsoft Outlook
      A Complete Guide to Duplicating Pages in Word
      How to
      Print Mirror Image
      How to
      Attach Large Files & Folders to Emals in Outlook
      How to
      Upgrade Microsoft Office
      How to
      Install Microsoft Teams on Windows: Work, School, & Personal
      Step-By-Step Guide to Convert PowerPoint to Word: Windows + Mac
      How to
      Share a OneNote Page
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/troubleshoot-outlook-for-windows-issues-241bb0fc-b201-4bb2-98d3-74750a27029e#ID0EBBD=New_Outlook
      2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/i-can-t-start-microsoft-outlook-or-receive-the-error-cannot-start-microsoft-outlook-cannot-open-the-outlook-window-d1f69da6-b333-4650-97bf-4d77bd7abb85
      3. ↑ https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/officeeos/important-office-end-of-support-reminders/3956142

      About This Article

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 2,037 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement