Software & Apps > MS Office How to See the Total Inbox Message Count in Outlook Change the default Outlook setting By Heinz Tschabitscher Heinz Tschabitscher Writer University of Vienna A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on May 11, 2022 Reviewed by Jon Fisher Reviewed by Jon Fisher Wichita Technical Institute Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek. lifewire's editorial guidelines MS Office Outlook Word Excel Powerpoint Trending Videos Close this video player What to Know Right-click desired email folder and select Properties > General tab > Show total number of items > OK.To view a folder's message count, select the folder > right-click the status bar > select Items in View. This article explains how to change the default setting in Outlook to show the total number of messages in a folder, including read and unread messages. Instructions apply to Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007; and Outlook for Microsoft 365. See the Total Inbox Message Count in Outlook Each Outlook folder can be set up to show either the number of unread messages or the number of total messages. When you change the default setting for one folder, the other folders are not affected. To show the total number of messages in a folder instead of the number of unread emails: Right-click on a folder. For example, the Inbox. Select Properties. Go to the General tab. Select Show total number of items. Select OK. Display the Message Count in the Status Bar To see the total number of messages for a folder in the Outlook status bar: Select a folder. Right-click on the status bar and select Items in View if it's not already selected. The total number of messages in the folder appears on the left side of the status bar. Select a blank area of the screen to close the menu. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit