Applies ToOutlook for Microsoft 365 Outlook 2024 Outlook 2021 Outlook 2019 Outlook 2016

If you have multiple accounts in Outlook, when you compose a new email message, Outlook picks the default account as the From account. However, if you want to Reply, Reply All, or Forward a message, Outlook will send your message with the same account the original mail was sent to. For example, Cheryl has two accounts. Her default account is cheryl.parsons64@outlook.com. Her second account is cheryl@contoso.com. If Cheryl receives an email message from Chester at her cheryl@contoso.com account, when she replies to Chester's message, her reply will be sent using cheryl@contoso.com. If she creates a new message to Chester that's not a reply or a forward, the message will be sent using her cheryl.parsons64@outlook.com account.

You can change which account is used to send a message.

  1. In the message window, above to To button, click From.

  2. Click the account that you want to use.

Why is the From button missing?

If you see the Send button, but don’t see the From button, the typical cause is that your Outlook profile contains only one email account. To view the From button, you'll need to add another email account

If you have multiple email accounts, you can add the From button manually. Once you add the From button, you can't remove it unless you remove all but one email account from Outlook.

  1. Create a new email message.

  2. Select Options, then select From in the Show Fields group on the ribbon.

Change your default email account

You can change your default email account using the following steps.

  1. Select File > Account Settings > Account Settings.

  2. From the list of accounts on the Email tab, select the account you want to use as the default account.

  3. Select Set as Default > Close.

Always use the default email account for sending new email

If you want to use the default email account when clicking New Email regardless what account or folder you start from use the following steps.    

  1. Select File > Options > Mail.

  2. Under Send Messages, check the box Always use the default account when composing new messages.

  3. Select OK.

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