To hide the reading pane in AOL Mail, click the Settings icon in your inbox, look under Message Layout, and choose List. List shows your messages without a preview pane, so the message list fills the window and an email opens only when you click it.
AOL calls this area the message preview pane. The steps follow AOL’s help article on customizing your inbox theme, font size, and layout in AOL Mail on the web.
Where the Layout Setting Lives
This is a quick change, but it helps to know where it applies.
- A web browser on a computer. AOL documents the Message Layout setting for AOL Mail on the desktop site, which is the version you open at mail.aol.com in a browser such as Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari.
- Your AOL username and password. The setting is inside your inbox, so you have to be signed in.
- The current version of AOL Mail. AOL’s overview of AOL Mail says you can’t switch back to the classic version, so everyone now uses the same layout controls. Older instructions that mention an Options menu or a Mail Settings page describe the classic version and no longer match what you see.
Changing the layout does not delete, move, or mark any email. It only changes how the inbox is arranged on screen, and you can reverse it at any time.
If you can’t get into your inbox at all, start with these steps for AOL Mail sign in.
How to Hide the Reading Pane in AOL Mail
- Sign in to AOL Mail in a web browser on your computer. You should see your inbox with the message list.
- Click the Settings icon. It is the gear-shaped button in the inbox. A short panel of quick settings opens, with sections for the theme, inbox spacing, text size, and message layout. If you prefer the keyboard, AOL lists the semicolon key (;) as its shortcut for going to Settings.
- Find the Message Layout section. It lists three choices: List, Right, and Bottom.
- Select List. AOL describes this option as “List (no preview pane).”
The preview pane disappears, and your message list uses the full width of the inbox. AOL’s instructions do not include a Save button for this section, so the layout should change as soon as you pick it. Click any message to open it, then go back to the inbox when you are done reading.
List, Right, and Bottom: What Each Layout Does
AOL offers three Message Layout options. Only one of them hides the reading pane.
| Message Layout option | How AOL describes it | Good choice when |
|---|---|---|
| List | No preview pane | You want to see as much of the message list as possible, or you share your screen and don’t want email contents showing |
| Right | Show message in a preview pane on the right | You have a wide monitor and want to read without leaving the inbox |
| Bottom | Show message in a preview pane on the bottom | You have a tall or narrow window and want full-width lines of text |
If you like previews but find the pane cramped, try moving it before you turn it off. A preview pane on the right splits the screen side by side, while a pane on the bottom stacks the list above the message.
How to Confirm the Change and Bring the Reading Pane Back
To check that the reading pane is hidden, click a message in your inbox. With List selected, the email opens in place of the message list instead of appearing beside or below it.
To undo the change:
- Click the Settings icon.
- Under Message Layout, select Right or Bottom.
- Click a message. It should now open in the preview pane while the list stays visible.
You can switch between the three layouts as often as you like. Nothing in your mailbox changes when you do.
Reading Email Without the Preview Pane
Once the pane is gone, you open each email one at a time. AOL’s list of keyboard shortcuts in AOL Mail includes several keys that make this faster:
- Left arrow and Right arrow: go to the previous or next message.
- M: go to the inbox.
- K: mark as read. Shift + K marks as unread.
- Del or Backspace: delete.
- E: archive.
- Shift + ?: show the full list of shortcuts.
AOL notes that these shortcuts are written for Windows, and that most work on a Mac if you substitute Cmd for Ctrl or Option for Alt.
The List layout also pairs well with the checkboxes in the message list. AOL’s instructions for deleting a conversation say to click the box to the left of the message and then click Delete at the top of the inbox, so you can clear out email you don’t want without opening it.
Other Ways to Customize Your AOL Mail Inbox
The same Settings icon has a few more layout controls, according to AOL. They work well alongside the List layout if your goal is to fit more on screen.
- Inbox Spacing: Choose Small, Medium, or Large to fit more or fewer messages on screen. Small spacing plus the List layout shows the most messages at once.
- Large text: Turn on Enable large text size if the message list is hard to read. Turn it off to return to the default size.
- Theme: Select a colored circle, then choose how much of the page it covers: Light (top margin), Medium (top margin and side margins), or Dark (entire page).
Change Your Inbox Style
AOL’s article on switching your inbox style explains a separate setting for how messages are grouped. Click the Settings icon, select More Settings, click Viewing email, and under Inbox style choose Unified Inbox (all mail in one list, newest first) or use New/Old Mail. Then click Back to Inbox. AOL says this setting applies to your account, so it carries over to the mobile site and the AOL app.
Turn Conversations On or Off
By default, AOL Mail can list related emails together in a single thread. If you would rather see every email as its own line in the List layout, AOL’s page on managing conversations says to click the Settings icon, click More settings, click Viewing email, and switch Group by conversations off.
If You Don’t See Message Layout
I don’t see Message Layout
Message Layout is in the short panel that opens when you click the Settings icon, not in the full settings pages. If you already clicked More Settings, go back to your inbox and click the Settings icon again. Also check where you are reading your mail. AOL documents this option for the desktop site, so it may not appear in the AOL app or on the mobile version of the site.
The steps I found mention Options or Mail Settings
Those steps were written for the classic version of AOL Mail, where reading settings lived under an Options menu. AOL states that you can’t switch back to the classic version, so use the Settings icon and Message Layout instead. The same change affected the old checkbox for disabling links from unknown senders in AOL Mail.
The layout didn’t change, or the page looks wrong
Reload the page and select List again. If the inbox still does not load correctly, AOL’s guide to fixing problems reading or receiving AOL Mail suggests clearing your browser’s cache, because stored site data can cause loading errors. The same page suggests temporarily turning off pop-up blocking if parts of AOL Mail will not open.
The reading pane came back on another computer
AOL says the Inbox style setting is saved to your account, but its layout article does not say the same about Message Layout. If the preview pane shows up when you sign in on a different computer or browser, repeat the steps there.
With the reading pane hidden, set Inbox Spacing to match how much you want on screen, then decide whether conversations should stay grouped. These guides cover other AOL Mail settings:
AOL Reading Pane Questions
Is the reading pane the same as the preview pane in AOL Mail?
Yes. AOL’s help pages call it the message preview pane, and many other email programs call the same feature a reading pane. In AOL Mail it is controlled by the Message Layout setting under the Settings icon.
Will hiding the reading pane change the AOL app on my phone?
AOL’s layout article describes the Message Layout setting for AOL Mail in a desktop browser and does not list steps for the app. The Inbox style setting is the one AOL says carries over to the mobile site and the AOL app.
How do I get the reading pane back in AOL Mail?
Click the Settings icon in your inbox and choose Right or Bottom under Message Layout. Right shows the message beside the list, and Bottom shows it below the list.
Does hiding the reading pane delete or change my emails?
No. Message Layout only controls how the inbox is arranged. Your messages, folders, and filters stay exactly as they were.
Can I go back to classic AOL Mail to get the old reading pane settings?
No. AOL says you can’t switch back to the classic version of AOL Mail. The current version still has a preview pane, and you turn it on or off with the List, Right, and Bottom options.
Can I make AOL Mail open to my inbox?
Yes. You can open AOL Mail with Inbox instead of Today.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
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