How to Pin an Email in Outlook

Pinning keeps a message at the top of its folder no matter how much new mail arrives below it. The pin option exists in the new Outlook for Windows, the new Outlook for Mac, and Outlook on the web. Classic Outlook for Windows does not have it, but there are two workarounds.

Hover over the message

In the message list, move the pointer over the email. A row of small icons appears on the right side of the message row.

Click the pin icon

Click the pin. You can also right-click the message and choose Pin. The message moves to a Pinned section at the top of the folder and stays there until you unpin it.

Unpin when you are done

Hover over the pinned message and click the pin icon again, or right-click it and choose Unpin. It drops back into its normal place by date.

Use Flag or Favorites in classic Outlook

Classic Outlook for Windows has no pin. Right-click a message, choose Follow Up, and pick a flag. The message shows a flag icon and appears in the To-Do Bar and Microsoft To Do, but it does not move to the top of the list. For something closer to pinning, create a folder named Pinned, drag important messages into it, then right-click the folder and choose Add to Favorites so it sits at the top of the folder pane.

Set up pin on your phone

In the Outlook mobile app, open Settings, tap Swipe options, and assign Pin to a swipe direction. Then swipe a message to pin it. Pin is also in the three-dot menu when a message is open.

Flag is not pin. Flagging marks a message for follow-up and adds it to your task list but leaves it in place in the message list. Pinning moves it to the top without creating a task, and a message can be both flagged and pinned.

Pins are per folder. A pinned message stays at the top of the folder it lives in, and pins sync across every device signed in to the same account.