Turn new message alert pop-up on or off in Outlook (Classic Outlook)

Applies To: Outlook for Microsoft 365 Outlook 2024 Outlook 2021 Outlook 2019 Outlook 2016 Office for business Microsoft Office New Outlook for Windows.

A Desktop Alert is a notification that appears on your desktop when you receive a new email message, a meeting request, or a task request. By default, Desktop Alerts are turned on.

The information displayed in a Desktop Alert varies depending on the item that you receive in your Inbox.

• Email message   
  Displays the name of the sender, the subject, and the first two lines of the message. A Desktop Alert doesn't display the contents of an encrypted or digitally signed message. To view the message, you must open it.

• Meeting request   
  Displays the sender, subject, date, time, and location of the meeting.

• Task request   
  Displays the sender, subject, and start date of the assigned task.

Turn alerts on or off

Tip: If you want to keep a Desktop Alert visible so that you can take more time to read it, rest the pointer over the alert before it fades from view.

1. Open classic Outlook

2. Select File.

3. Select Options, then Mail.

4. Under Message arrival, select to check or clear the Display a Desktop Alert check box, and then select OK.

   Note: To suppress or enable other notifications such as sounds, mouse pointer changes, or displaying an envelope icon in the taskbar, check or clear the respective check boxes for those functions.