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Learn how to restart Outlook, plus essential troubleshooting tips
There could be several reasons you need to restart Outlook: perhaps it's not responding, your inbox isn't refreshing, or you're dealing with a bug or error. Although Microsoft Outlook doesn't have a dedicated restart button, restarting the app is still quite straightforward. In this guide, we'll walk you through how to restart Outlook on Windows, Mac, iPhone/iPad, Android, and the web. Plus, we’ll provide troubleshooting advice if you're unable to restart it.
Quick Restart Steps
- Right-click on the taskbar (Windows) or select the Apple menu (Mac).
- Choose Task Manager (Windows) or Force Quit (Mac).
- Select the Microsoft Outlook application from the list of programs.
- Click End Task (Windows) or Force Quit (Mac).
- Click the Outlook icon to relaunch the application.
Detailed Restart Instructions
File Menu
Select the File option located in the upper-left corner of the screen. For Mac, click on the Outlook menu in the top-left corner instead.
- If Outlook is unresponsive or cannot restart, proceed directly to the Task Manager section for Windows or the Force Quit section for Mac.
Select Exit at the bottom of the menu. On Mac, select Quit Outlook instead of Exit at the bottom of the menu.
Reopen Outlook once it has been closed. If Outlook is pinned to your taskbar (Windows) or dock (Mac), just click on the icon to reopen the app. Alternatively, you can find Outlook on your desktop or search for it through the taskbar search bar (Windows) or Spotlight (Mac).
Keyboard Shortcut
Ensure Outlook is the active window. You can close Outlook using a keyboard shortcut, but it will only work if Outlook is the active window.
- The simplest way to activate Outlook is by clicking on the window or its icon in your taskbar (Windows) or dock (Mac).
- If Outlook is unresponsive, move directly to the Task Manager section for Windows or the Force Quit section for Mac.
Press Alt+F4 (Windows) or ⌥ Option+⌘ Cmd+Esc (Mac). This will immediately close Outlook. If it doesn't close, try the shortcut again, pressing the keys one by one quickly.
Reopen Outlook after closing it. If Outlook is pinned to your taskbar (Windows) or dock (Mac), simply click on the icon to reopen it. Alternatively, you can find Outlook on your desktop or search for it through the taskbar search bar (Windows) or Spotlight (Mac).
Task Manager (Windows)
Launch Task Manager. You can do this in several ways:
- Right-click the Windows button (bottom-left corner) and choose Task Manager.
- Right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager.
- Press Ctrl + Alt + Del and select Task Manager.
Choose Microsoft Outlook from the list. While you can use Task Manager to close Outlook at any time, it is most commonly used when Outlook becomes unresponsive.
Click End task to completely close the app. Once you click the End task button, Outlook will close immediately.
Reopen Outlook after it’s closed. If Outlook is pinned to your taskbar, just click its icon to relaunch the application. If not, you can find Outlook on your desktop or search for it via the taskbar search bar.
Force Quit (Mac)
Click the Apple icon in the top-left corner. This is the menu button located directly to the left of the Outlook menu button.
Click on Force Quit. A window will appear showing you all the currently running programs and processes on your computer.
Choose Microsoft Outlook from the list. You can use the Force Quit option anytime to close Outlook, but it’s most commonly used when Outlook becomes unresponsive.
Click Force Quit to fully terminate the application. Once you click the Force Quit button, Outlook will close immediately.
Reopen Outlook after closing it. If Outlook is pinned to your dock, simply click its icon to launch the app again. If not, locate Outlook on your desktop or search for it using Spotlight.
iPhone/iPad App
Open the App Switcher. The method depends on your iPhone or iPad model:
- If your device has a Home button: Double-click the Home button.
- If your device doesn't have a Home button: Swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen and pause in the center.
Locate the Microsoft Outlook app. Scroll through your open apps by swiping left or right until you find Outlook.
Swipe up on Outlook to close it. When you swipe up the Outlook app, it will vanish, confirming that it has been closed.
Exit the App Switcher. To return to your Home screen, press the Home button again (if available) or tap on the blurred Home screen behind the apps.
Reopen Microsoft Outlook. If Outlook is on your Home screen or dock, simply tap the icon. Alternatively, open your App Library, search for Outlook, and tap the app.
Android App
Tap on the Overview button. This button with three vertical lines is located at either the lower-left or lower-right corner of your screen.
- Depending on your Android device, you might need to long-press the Overview button.
- If you use navigation gestures, you can access the Overview menu by swiping up from the bottom-left of your screen and holding until it appears.
Locate the Microsoft Outlook app. Swipe left and right through your open apps until Outlook is visible.
Swipe up on the Outlook app to close it. By swiping up, the Outlook app will disappear, confirming it is closed.
Press the Home button to go back to your home screen. This is the circular button situated in the center of your navigation bar.
- If you're using gestures, swipe up from the bottom of your screen to return to the home screen.
Launch Microsoft Outlook again. Scroll to the screen where Outlook is located, then tap it to open the app.
Web Version
Close the Outlook tab. Alternatively, you can close the entire web browser if that's your preference. If you choose to do so, make sure to completely close the browser by using the File/application menu in the upper-left corner or by utilizing Task Manager (Windows) or Force Quit (Mac).
- If you close the browser, ensure you reopen it before proceeding.
Open a new tab. In most browsers, this can be done by clicking the "+" button next to your open tabs. Alternatively, open the browser menu and choose the "new tab" option.
- If preferred, you can also open a new window or continue navigating in the current tab to reach Outlook.
Go to the web version of Outlook and sign in. Visit Outlook's webpage, click Sign in, and then log in using your credentials.
Run Command (Windows)
Press ⊞ Win+R to open Run. Alternatively, you can search for "Run" in the taskbar's search box, or right-click the Windows icon (bottom-left) and select Run.
Type outlook.exe /resetnavpane into the Run window. Press Enter to execute the command or hit the OK button.
- This command resets the navigation pane of Outlook, causing the app to restart.
- If Outlook is open when you run this, it will launch a second window. For best results, ensure Outlook is closed before executing the command.
Start Outlook in safe mode without add-ins. If Outlook refuses to restart, you can attempt to open it in safe mode without any add-ins. This will help identify if one of the add-ins is causing the issue.
- Press ⊞ Win+R to open Run, then type Outlook /safe. Click OK to run it.
- Choose the default profile when prompted, then click OK.
- If prompted, enter your password, then click Accept.
- If Outlook launches, you can disable the add-ins by navigating to File > Options > Add-ins.
- Click View and manage Office Add-ins.
- Ensure the "Manage" box shows COM Add-ins, then click Go.
- Uncheck all add-ins, then click OK.
- Exit by selecting File > Exit.
Create a new Outlook profile. If safe mode doesn't resolve the issue, try creating a new profile in case the existing one is corrupted.
- Search for control panel in the taskbar search bar and open the Control Panel.
- Click Mail. On Windows 11, you will first need to select User Accounts.
- Click Show Profiles.
- Click Add... to add a new profile.
- Enter a name for your new profile, then click OK.
- Fill out the details in the "Auto Account Setup" section.
- Click Next, then Finish.
- In the profiles window, select Prompt for a profile to be used under "When starting Outlook, use this profile." This allows you to choose the new profile when restarting Outlook.
Update Outlook. If you're using an outdated version of Outlook (like Outlook 2016 or 2019), you may need to upgrade to the Microsoft 365 version. This is because Microsoft no longer supports older versions of Outlook for connecting to Microsoft 365 services.
- If you're unable to open Outlook, visit https://www.office.com, sign in to your Microsoft 365 account, and download the latest version of Office software.
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If you close the app by clicking the "x" (Windows) or red button (Mac) in the upper-right corner, it will close the window but won't fully quit. The app will continue running in the background. To completely exit, use Task Manager (Windows) or Force Quit (Mac) to terminate the app.
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Resetting Outlook doesn't mean you're signing out. If you'd like to sign out of your Outlook account, refer to this Mytour article for instructions.
