How to Show the From Field in Outlook

To show the From field in Outlook, open a new email, select the Options tab, and select Show From in new Outlook or From in classic Outlook. A From button then appears at the top of the message, and you can use it to pick which email address sends the message.

This guide covers new Outlook for Windows, classic Outlook for Windows (Outlook for Microsoft 365, 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016), and Outlook.com in a browser. The steps follow Microsoft’s own instructions in Change the account used to send email messages in Outlook for Windows.

Before You Start

• You usually need more than one account. Microsoft says the typical reason the From button is missing is that your Outlook profile contains only one email account. With a single account there is nothing to choose between.
• Know which Outlook you have. New Outlook has a New mail button and a Show fields group. Classic Outlook has a New Email button and a Show Fields group. The button names differ slightly between the two.
• The change is hard to reverse. Microsoft notes that once you add the From button, you can’t remove it unless you remove all but one email account from Outlook. It only adds a small button to the message window, so most people leave it on.

How to Show the From Field in New Outlook

1. Open new Outlook and select New mail to start a message.
2. Select the Options tab at the top of the message.
3. In the Show fields group on the ribbon, select Show From.

The From button appears at the top of the message, next to Send and above the To line. It stays there for later messages, so you only need to do this once.

How to Show the From Field in Classic Outlook

1. Open classic Outlook and select New Email.
2. In the new message window, select the Options tab.
3. In the Show Fields group on the ribbon, select From.

The From button now appears above the To button. The Bcc button sits in the same Show Fields group, so this is also the place to turn on the Bcc line if you need it. Microsoft explains that field in Show, hide, and view the Bcc field in Outlook for Windows.

How to Show the From Field in Outlook.com

Outlook.com is the free web version of Outlook that you use in a browser. Microsoft’s instructions for it match new Outlook:

1. Start a new message.
2. In the compose window, select Options > Show From to see the From line.
3. Select the down arrow next to From and choose the address you want to use.

In Outlook.com you can send from any email account you have connected, or from an alias on your Microsoft account. An alias is an extra email address that delivers to the same inbox. Microsoft covers this in Send email from a different address in Outlook.com. Work and school accounts use Outlook on the web, where the layout can differ; look for Show From at the top of the message or on the Options tab.

How to Send From a Different Account

Showing the field is only the first half. To change the sender for one message:

1. In the message window, select From above the To button.
2. Select the account that you want to use.
3. Check that the address next to From is the one you expect, then write and send the message as usual.

The choice applies to that message only. Microsoft says a new message starts with your default account, while a reply, reply all or forward uses the account the original message was sent to. That is why a reply can go out from a different address than a brand new email.

How to Send From a Shared Mailbox

A shared mailbox is an address such as info@yourcompany.com that several people in an organization monitor and send from. Before you can use one, the Microsoft 365 admin for your organization has to create it and add you as a member. You cannot grant yourself access.

1. Start a new message. If you don’t see the From field, select Options > Show From (new Outlook) or Options > From (classic Outlook).
2. Select From in the message and change it to the shared email address.
3. If the shared address is not listed, choose Other email address and type it in. In classic Outlook, choose OK.
4. Finish the message and choose Send.

After the first time, the shared address stays in your From drop-down list. Microsoft says recipients see only the shared email address in the message, not your personal one. The full procedure is in Microsoft’s Open and use a shared mailbox in Outlook.

How to Change the Default Sending Account

If you keep switching the From field to the same account, change the default instead. The steps are different in each version.

Task	New Outlook	Classic Outlook
Show the From field	Options > Show From	Options > From
Change the default account	File > Account info > Manage > Set as primary account	File > Account Settings > Account Settings > Set as Default
Always use the default for new mail	Not available	File > Options > Mail > Send Messages

New Outlook

1. Select the File tab, then select Account info.
2. Under Email accounts, select Manage next to the account you want to make primary.
3. Under Account details, select Set as primary account.
4. In the confirmation window, select Continue.

Save any drafts first, because Outlook restarts after you select Continue. Microsoft also notes that the primary account controls app-wide settings and policies, not just the From address, so only change it if you want that account to be the main one.

Classic Outlook

1. Select File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
2. On the Email tab, select the account you want to use as the default.
3. Select Set as Default, then Close.

Classic Outlook has one more setting. To use the default account for every new email no matter which folder you start from, select File > Options > Mail. Under Send Messages, check Always use the default account when composing new messages, then select OK. Microsoft states this option is not available in new Outlook.

What to Do If the From Button Is Missing

• You have only one account. This is the cause Microsoft names first. Add a second email account to Outlook, then repeat the steps above. If you need another address, see our guide on how to create an Outlook email account.
• You are looking in the wrong window. The Options tab that holds the button belongs to a message you are writing. Start a new email first, then select Options.
• The label is different. New Outlook calls it Show From. Classic Outlook calls it From. If one set of steps doesn’t match your screen, try the other.
• The shared address isn’t in the list. Use Other email address and type it. If sending then fails, ask your admin to confirm you are a member of the shared mailbox.
• You mean the From column in the inbox. That is a separate setting. In classic Outlook, columns only appear in a list view: select View > Change View > Single or Preview, then use View Settings > Columns to add From. Our guide on changing the Outlook view back to normal covers resetting a view that has gone wrong.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hide the From field again in Outlook?

Not easily. Microsoft says that once you add the From button, you can’t remove it unless you remove all but one email account from Outlook. The button does not change how your messages are sent unless you select it and pick another account.

Why did my reply go out from a different account?

Outlook sends a reply, reply all or forward from the account that received the original message. A new message uses your default account instead. To override either one, select From in the message and choose another account before you send.

Does the From field show for replies too?

Microsoft’s shared mailbox instructions describe a From field at the top of a reply, with a drop-down to choose another address. If it does not appear in your reply, turn the field on from a new message first.

Can I type any address into the From field?

You can type an address with Other email address, but that does not mean you can send from it. Microsoft notes you may not have permission to send from every address shown in the list. You need to own the account or alias, or be given access by an admin.

Is Show From available in every version of Outlook?

Microsoft documents it for new Outlook for Windows, classic Outlook for Windows and Outlook.com. Microsoft’s Outlook for Mac instructions take a different route: select the account under Inbox before you start the message, and the email is sent from that account.

Next Steps

Once the From button is showing, send yourself a test message from each account to confirm the right address appears. If each account needs its own sign-off, set up a signature in Outlook next, or learn how to schedule an email in Outlook. More tutorials are in our Outlook guides.