Microsoft investigating new Outlook spellcheck bug causing emails to be deleted

In recent weeks, new Outlook users have reported a highly disruptive bug in the spellcheck feature, which has led to accidental deletions of emails. This issue has affected a broad range of users, from scientists and corporate employees to general users, all facing significant workflow interruptions.

One user, a scientist, detailed how the new spellcheck update interfered with their workflow. They shared that many scientific terms they use aren’t in the standard dictionary, making manual spellchecking essential. However, the new update introduces a drop-down suggestion box that disrupts their editing process. When they attempt to use the backspace key to correct a word, the app sometimes acts as if they clicked the browser’s “back” button, resulting in lost place and, alarmingly, misplaced emails in the junk folder.

Another user reported that when they click on a red-highlighted word and press backspace, it archives an email from their inbox. Continuous backspacing results in multiple emails being archived one after another. This issue occurs regardless of whether they use the suggested spellcheck corrections, severely impacting their productivity.

A third Outlook user expressed their frustration, noting that the only way to exit the “helpful suggestions” box without archiving or deleting emails is to hit the escape key. This manual workaround is tedious and impractical for regular use. The bug leads to accidental archiving or deletion of multiple emails in rapid succession, with the “Undo” button only reversing the last action, leaving many emails still misplaced.

This bug has widespread implications, affecting users across different environments, including those using the native new Outlook and Outlook on the web. Several users reported that the spellcheck feature changes the focus from the email body to the message list, causing unintended actions like archiving or deleting emails when attempting to correct spelling errors manually.

Acknowledging the issue, a moderator in the Microsoft community forum has confirmed that the development team is aware of the bug and is actively investigating. They have advised users to submit detailed feedback through the Outlook application or the Microsoft Feedback platform to aid in resolving the problem swiftly.

In the meantime, users are resorting to various temporary measures, such as hitting the escape key to exit the suggestions box and carefully navigating around the bug. However, these workarounds are far from ideal and have led to significant frustration and time loss.

The spellcheck bug in the new Outlook is a glaring issue that demands urgent attention. As Microsoft works towards a fix, users are left grappling with disrupted workflows and the risk of losing important emails. The community remains hopeful for a swift resolution to restore productivity and efficiency in their daily email management.