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How to Prevent Recipients from Reacting to Your Email
By default, anyone who receives your email can react to it with an emoji. If you are sending a formal announcement, policy update, or a sensitive message, you can block emoji reactions on that specific email before clicking send.
Note: This setting is per-email. It defaults to "allowed," so you must turn it off manually for every individual message you want to restrict.
🌐 Outlook on the Web (Webmail) & New Outlook for Windows/Mac
- Open a New message (or click Reply / Forward).
- Click the Options tab in the top ribbon menu.
- Check the box or toggle Disallow reactions.
- Complete your draft and click Send.
📱 Outlook for Mobile (iOS & Android)
- Tap the Compose button to start a new email.
- Tap the Three Dots (...) menu icon on the toolbar above your keyboard.
- Select Message Options.
- Turn on the toggle for Disallow reactions.
- Complete your draft and click Send.
💡 Frequently Asked Questions
- What happens if a recipient tries to react? The reaction icons (smiley face, thumbs up, etc.) will either be grayed out or completely hidden in their Outlook app.
- Does this work for external recipients? Yes. If the recipient uses a different email provider (like Gmail or Yahoo), they won't have a native Outlook reaction button anyway, and this setting ensures no Outlook users can react either.
- Can I turn off reactions for an email I already sent? No. This restriction must be applied before you click Send.