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In new Outlook for Windows, go to Settings > General > Appearance and switch Show app names on or off. The setting controls the labels beside navigation icons; it does not turn Outlook apps or services on or off. A similar option is documented in Outlook on the web.
Show or hide app names in new Outlook for Windows
- Open new Outlook and select the Settings gear.
- Select General, then Appearance.
- Find Show app names and turn it on to display labels beside the navigation icons, or off to show icons without labels.
- If Outlook presents a Save button, select it to apply the change.
The labels appear in Outlook’s left navigation pane. The menu route is documented by Windows Central and The Windows Club; menu names and availability may change.
Change the setting in Outlook on the web
- Open Outlook on the web and select Settings.
- Go to General > Appearance, then find the Navigation bar section.
- Switch Show app names on to show labels or off to hide them. Save if prompted.
Ablebits’ instructions describe the corresponding control in the web app and new Outlook.
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- Show app names: Labels make destinations explicit, which can help when icons are unfamiliar.
- Hide app names: Icons without labels use less space in the navigation pane.
These are practical usability trade-offs, not measured performance differences.
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What if “Show app names” is missing?
First check that you are using new Outlook for Windows or Outlook on the web, then look under Settings > General > Appearance. In the web app, also check the Navigation bar section. The cited guides do not establish a universal fix or explain account-by-account availability, so a missing control should not be assumed to have one specific cause.
Do not confuse this with classic Outlook’s “Show Apps in Outlook”
Classic Outlook has a similarly named Show Apps in Outlook option, but it concerns navigation layout or placement rather than the new Outlook control for showing labels beside icons. The ExtendOffice guide describes that separate classic Outlook option; it is not the route for changing app-name labels in new Outlook.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does this setting apply to Outlook mobile?
The documented steps cover new Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web. Microsoft’s mobile navigation customization instructions do not document this app-name toggle, so these steps should not be assumed to work in Outlook for iOS or Android.
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