New Outlook and Web to Add A–Z Subfolder Sorting, Targeting February 2027

What the roadmap entry says​

Microsoft lists the feature like this:

According to the description, you'll be able to sort a folder's subfolders alphabetically from the parent folder, so you can find the folder you need without moving subfolders one at a time. Microsoft calls it a simple way to keep long folder lists organized.

Treat February 2027 as an estimate. Microsoft says its roadmap dates are estimates, that all of the information can change, and that entries may be removed once a feature ships, is cancelled or is postponed.

Summary: A per-parent A–Z sort is in development for the new Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web. General availability is currently estimated for February 2027.

Classic Outlook already does this​

This is mostly about catching up with classic Outlook. In classic Outlook on Windows, you can already right-click a parent folder and choose a dedicated command. One university IT help page gives the steps: right-click on the parent folder (in this example Inbox), then select Sort Subfolders A to Z from the pop-up menu. Ablebits says the same command also works one level up: to alphabetize folders in a specific email account, right-click its name in the Folder pane and choose Sort Subfolders A to Z.

The new client doesn't have that command. Ablebits notes that in the new Outlook and web app, the Sort option is not available in the folder's right-click menu, but you can find it in the ribbon. Clean.email puts it more directly: there isn't currently a feature to only alphabetize subfolders like in Classic Outlook.

Users have noticed the gap. In a blog post, Microsoft 365 consultant Erik describes going looking for the old command: he tried right-clicking the parent folder and looking for a "Sort Subfolders" option, but the feature wasn't available in the new Outlook client. On Microsoft's Tech Community forums, one user wrote that those with literally hundreds of sub folders who need to trace something back are finding this a real handicap.

Outlook for Mac appears to have its own version. In a Microsoft Q&A thread from October 2026, a user said that on Mac, you right-click the parent folder you want to sort the subfolders on and select "Sort subfolder A-Z". That's one user's report, not Microsoft documentation, but it suggests Windows and web are the odd ones out.

Summary: Roadmap item 579186 looks like a parity feature. It brings a familiar classic Outlook command to the new Outlook and the web, where today the only alphabetical option applies to every folder at once.

Why per-parent sorting matters​

New Outlook can already sort alphabetically. The problem is that the existing switch is all or nothing.

Microsoft Support describes two modes for the folder pane in new Outlook and on the web:

• Custom folder order: You drag folders into place or use the right-click Move up and Move down commands. In this mode you can also move folders from the main level into subfolders and back.
• Order folders A to Z: Everything is alphabetized.

So you have to pick one. If you've arranged your top-level folders on purpose (say Projects first, Clients second, Archive last) and also have 80 vendor subfolders that need sorting, you either keep custom order and drag 80 folders around, or switch to A–Z and lose your top-level layout.

Erik's blog shows how custom order can get messy. He found that in custom mode, each new subfolder he created, even within existing folders like "Suppliers," would appear at the very top of the list, ignoring alphabetical order. A command that sorts one parent's children at a time is the obvious fix: your hand-tuned layout stays, and one messy branch gets cleaned up.

A few practical cases:

• Client or matter folders: Law firms, agencies and consultancies often keep one subfolder per client under a single parent, and those lists can run into the hundreds.
• Project archives: A parent such as "2026 Projects" collects folders in the order they were created, which is rarely the order anyone searches in.
• Migrated mailboxes: Users moving from classic Outlook bring deep folder trees with them. As one Tech Community commenter noted, going back to Classic and sorting them doesn't carry over to the new Outlook either.

What we don't know yet​

The roadmap entry is short, and several details are still open:

• Where the command will appear. Microsoft says the sort happens "from the parent folder," which suggests a right-click menu like classic Outlook's, but nothing confirms that.
• Whether it's recursive. It isn't clear if the sort covers only the parent's direct children or every nested level below it.
• How it works with custom order. Will it rearrange subfolders once while custom order stays on, or does it need the global A–Z mode?
• Sorting rules. Nothing says how numbers, dates or special characters will be handled. Numbered folders are a common annoyance in Outlook folder sorting.
• Rollout details. No build number, preview date or Targeted release schedule has been published, and no admin controls are mentioned.
• Clouds. Only Worldwide (Standard Multi-Tenant) is listed. GCC, GCC High and DoD customers shouldn't assume the same timeline.

How to sort folders A to Z in Outlook today​

Until the feature arrives, these are the options Microsoft documents.

New Outlook for Windows

1. Open Mail.
2. On the View tab, choose Sort Folders > Order folders A to Z. This is the path Microsoft Support gives.
3. To return to manual arrangement, re-select Custom folder order from the Folder pane dropdown.

The menu labels vary a bit by build. Several guides put the command under View > Folder pane > Sort folders > Order folders A to Z. One Microsoft Q&A answer adds that if the folders are collapsed, expand each parent folder to see its alphabetized subfolders.

Outlook on the web and Outlook.com

1. Open Mail.
2. Choose View > Folder pane > Order folders A to Z.
3. Switch back with Custom folder order if you need to.

Classic Outlook for Windows

• To alphabetize everything: Folder > Clean Up > Show All Folders A to Z.
• To sort one branch: right-click the parent folder and choose Sort Subfolders A to Z. This is the per-parent command the roadmap promises for the new client.

Troubleshooting

• Drag-and-drop doesn't work: In new Outlook, manual reordering only works when Custom folder order is turned on.
• Search, Shared with me and In-place archive won't move: That's by design. Microsoft says these folders can't be moved and always appear as the last set of folders for an account.
• Mobile: According to Clean.email, there isn't currently a feature to alphabetize folders or subfolders in Outlook on Android or iPhone. The roadmap entry covers only Desktop and Web, so don't expect that to change with this release.

Analysis: small fix, real frustration​

Alphabetical subfolders won't make headlines next to the AI announcements on the same roadmap page. But a lot of the resistance to the new Outlook has come from features like this one: small habits classic Outlook users relied on for years that are missing in the new client. Every gap like this is one more reason for a holdout to stay on classic.

For IT admins planning migrations, this item is worth tracking alongside other parity features. If users with large folder trees are pushing back on the move, "per-parent sorting is on the roadmap for February 2027" is a fair, honest answer. Just add that roadmap dates can slip.

What would make it really useful is having subfolders under a parent stay sorted automatically, not just sorting them once. The roadmap text doesn't promise that, and we'll check when the feature reaches Targeted release.

Summary: Roadmap ID 579186 should give new Outlook and web users the per-parent "Sort Subfolders A to Z" command classic Outlook already has, with general availability estimated for February 2027. Until then, use the global Order folders A to Z setting, or classic Outlook's right-click command if you still have it.