You can even edit how long the notifications that appear in the corner of your screen appear for and how transparent they look. No matter how you want Outlook to notify you of new messages, here are step-by-step instructions to set its alert options.  MORE: The Best Laptops for Business and Productivity

How to Edit New Message Alerts in Outlook 2016 and Prior

  1. Click File.
  2. Select Options.
  3. Select Mail. 4. Check and uncheck the boxes under Message Arrival, and click Desktop Alert Settings. Now you can silence the alert chime, set your cursor to change and set preview options if a message has an attachment.
  4. Move the slider controls to adjust preview duration and transparency and click OK.
  5. Click OK again on Outlook options screen. Now Outlook will only notify you of new messages in the manner you prefer. 

Microsoft Outlook Tips

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