Outlook: Change the font (style, size, and color) of unread group header

Author: Kelly Last Modified: 2025-04-17

Change the font of unread group header, and make your messages list attract attention more easily. Here we will show you how to change the font style, size, and color of unread group header of mail list in Microsoft Outlook.

The following steps will help you quickly change the font style, font size, and font color of unread group header.

Step 1: Shift to the Mail view with clicking the "Mail" in the Navigation Pane.

Step 2: Select the folder that you will change the font of unread group headers in it.

Step 3: Open the Advanced View Settings: compact (or Custom View: Messages) dialog box by following one of the below paths:

In Outlook 2010 or newer versions, please click the "View Settings" button in the "Current View" group on the "View" tab.
In Outlook 2007, please click the "View" > "Current View" > "Customize Current View".

the steps of changing the font (style, size, and color) of unread group header

Step 4: In the popping up dialog box, please click the "Conditional Formatting" button (or "Automatic Formatting" in Outlook 2007).

Step 5: In the Conditional Formatting dialog box:

Uncheck all options except the "Unread group headers" option in the "Rules for this view:" box
Click the "Font "button.

Step 6: In the "Font" dialog box:

Select a font face in the "Font:" box. In our case, we select the "Segoe Print".
Select a font style in the "Font style:" box. In our case, we select the "Bold Oblique".
Select a font size in the "Size: "box. In our case, we select the "Bigger".
Select one font color in the "Color:" box. In our case we select the "red color".

Step 7: Click all "OK" buttons in each dialog box.

Go back to the mail interface of Microsoft Outlook, and you will see that the unread group headers display as "red Segoe Print" font, and the font is "Bold Oblique" and "Bigger". See the following screenshot:

Note: This set is only valid for the select folder. Applying the changed unread group header for all mail folders in your Microsoft Outlook, please click the "Change View" > "Apply Current View to Other Mail Folders" on the "View" tab.