Shift-delete to delete permanently without 'deleted items'

Hello from the Outlook team! We’re hoping you all can help us out in identifying this problem. Please share the detailed steps taken in order for this to not work (Folder origin? Keyboard?).
Thank you!
23 comments
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Anonymous commented
Restore the function, "Shift + Delete."
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Cosmic Truth commented
I found the solution for the laptops. Once you have selected your emails. Hold the Shift key down, then hold down function key and press the delete key.
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mark Billian commented
This is still a problem on my MAC, especially for the when using the laptop keyboard
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Phillip Corchary commented
I too was having this same problem. This thread gave me enough base information to figure this out. Still I think the behavior should not have changed, and MS Outlook team should normalize:
There are some keys that can be confusing:
MacBook/MacBookPro,
1) there is just one key 'DELETE' and this is essentially the 'BACKSPACE' key. This is just above the "\" key on the 2nd row far-right (on US English keyboard)Apple Keyboard there are two keys:
1) the same 'DELETE' and this is essentially the 'BACKSPACE' key. This is just above the "\" key on the 2nd row far-right (on US English keyboard)
2) a (forward) 'DELETE' key (like a PC DELETE key) that is to the right of the main section, and below 'fn', and next to 'end' (again on the US English keyboard)In MS Outlook 2016 (currently 16.25 build 19050200), here is what I observe
1) SHIFT-DELETE(backspace key) ... this is a regular delete and will move email to Trash
2) SHIFT-DELETE(DELETE key) - this will perform a permanent delete (with warning)
3) on a MB/MBP, 'FN-DELETE' is like true 'DELETE' key, ... SO if you do SHIFT-FN-DELETE - this will perform the permanent delete!!
4) holding SHIFT and clicking the "Delete" (Trash) icon at the top of the Ribbon is a regular delete and will move email to the Trash
5) pressing JUST 'DELETE'(BACKSPACE) or 'DELETE'(DELETE) key for an email just moves it to the trashI hope this helps!
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Phillip Corchary commented
I too was having this same problem. This thread gave me enough base information to figure this out. Still I think the behavior should not have changed, and MS Outlook team should normalize:
There are some keys that can be confusing:
MacBook/MacBookPro,
1) there is just one key 'DELETE' and this is essentially the 'BACKSPACE' key. This is just above the "\" key on the 2nd row far-right (on US English keyboard)Apple Keyboard there are two keys:
1) the same 'DELETE' and this is essentially the 'BACKSPACE' key. This is just above the "\" key on the 2nd row far-right (on US English keyboard)
2) a (forward) 'DELETE' key (like a PC DELETE key) that is to the right of the main section, and below 'fn', and next to 'end' (again on the US English keyboard)In MS Outlook 2016 (currently 16.25 build 19050200), here is what I observe
1) SHIFT-DELETE(backspace key) ... this is a regular delete and will move email to Trash
2) SHIFT-DELETE(DELETE key) - this will perform a permanent delete (with warning)
3) on a MB/MBP, 'FN-DELETE' is like true 'DELETE' key, ... SO if you do SHIFT-FN-DELETE - this will perform the permanent delete!!
4) holding SHIFT and clicking the "Delete" (Trash) icon at the top of the Ribbon is a regular delete and will move email to the TrashI hope this helps!
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Fernando G commented
Dear Customer Support Agent,
Has your question been answered enough?
I have to use https://outlook.office.com/owa/ at work.
Steps:
a) One can select one or more messages on a pane (Inbox, or other).
b) Keyboard strokes Shift+Del>VERY DISLIKED 'new Outlook' behavior: move item(s) to Deleted folder.
VERY LOVED previous 'Outlook' behavior: Pop-up with offer to Permanently Delete the item(s).This is requirement for those who want to keep a USEFUL Deleted folder.
A Deleted folder should contain stuff that we want to keep around for a while, something that can be found in searches.
Permanent Deletion is: "For sure I do not want to see these items EVER again".
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Anonymous commented
All previous versions of this platform allowed for "SHIFT-DEL" keyboard shortcut to permanently delete (bypass trash folder) an email. That was a useful shortcut. It shouldn't be removed, imo.
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Student commented
Perhaps an option to not have the second trash at all. It is a privacy issue, and seems a little absurd.
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Anonymous commented
A right-click on the various delete icons should provide a permanent delete selection. You can rt-click on an unopened email and select "Delete" but there is no "Permanently Delete". Be sure to name it in this order so as to avoid selecting the wrong delete action when they are next to each other. It is also fairly commonplace to make this type capability an option to be enabled before it shows up in any menus; although I do not feel it necessary since a pop-up confirmation appears.
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Anonymous commented
Unable to empty a folder without sending them to the deleted items.
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Just Want to Vote commented
Shft+Del does not permanently delete mail like it did in the old web-ui. It should work the same.
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Jeff commented
I've tried in OWA on both Chrome on Mac and Edge on Windows 10. In the old version if I hold Shift while clicking the delete button it prompts "Do you want to permanently delete". But this is only for the Delete button on the bar at the top of the screen. If I select multiple items, then hold Shift while clicking the Delete button in the right pane it just puts them in the deleted items (and I can click Undo and bring them back).
When I turn on the new version, hold down Shift and click Delete on the bar at the top of the screen it just moves then and I can Undo it.
I've tested this both in the Inbox folder and a sub folder. The keyboard I use in US International with Language: English (Australia).
Out of interest I didn't know you could hold shift and hit the Delete button on the keyboard. I can confirm that typing Shift+Delete works in both the old version and new version of OWA.
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ANC commented
[shift][del] no longer works to permanently delete an email.
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Paul David Smith commented
I too, would like the ability to bypass the deleted items folder with some form of perm delete function, like the shift-delete that was available in the old view.
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Anonymous commented
Mark Billan is correct in his comment: Macs (laptops) don't have both a "del" key and a "backspace" key. The old version of OWA allowed the "backspace" key to function the same as the "del" key; therefore, permanently deleting items was as easy as hitting either "shift"/"del" or "shift"/"backspace". Now it only works with "shift"/"del" -- and you can't do that on a standard Mac laptop keyboard.
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Brian Wing commented
If a message is highlighted (being read), you should be able to hold down the shift button on the keyboard and click either the trash icon, or delete key on the keyboard, or right-click and select delete. The resulting action would be to "permanently" delete, instead it currently only moves the highlighted message to the "Deleted Items" folder.
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mark Billian commented
I am using a Mac, where the standard keyboard has a button labeled Delete but it is actually a backspace key. This key works to permanently delete items in the older version, but doesn't seem to on the new version. The actual delete button seems to work equally well in both.
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Anonymous commented
1. Go to https://outlook.office.com/mail/inbox/ in the new version of Outlook/OWA.
2. Click on/select an e-mail that you want to delete permanently.
3. Hold down Shift and the "Back/Delete" button. In the old version shift/"Back" permanently deleted the file.
Oh wait. Y'all didn't mention that Shift/"Delete" now serves that purpose. Hey everyone -- the functionality is still there! Just don't use the Shift/"Back"...use Shift/"Delete"
Problem solved.
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Anonymous commented
Return shift-delete!!!!!
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Anonymous commented
Yes! What happened to shift-delete? I hate having to clear out my "deleted mail" -- most SPAM and such I want to have a single keystroke to remove permanently.