Microsoft Outlook’s Developer Mode enables you to record or create macros to automate tasks. This article provides instructions on how to enable Developer Mode in Microsoft Outlook.
How to enable Developer Mode in Microsoft Outlook
You can enable the Developer Mode in Microsoft Outlook by using any of the following methods:
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- Outlook Options
- Registry Editor
Let’s see both of these methods in detail.
Enable Developer Mode in Microsoft Outlook via Outlook Options
Outlook Options By default, the Developer tab is not visible in Microsoft Outlook and all other Office applications. You can show it on the ribbon in Outlook by going to Outlook Options. The following steps will help you with that.
- Open Microsoft Outlook.
- Go to “File > Options.”
- Now, select the Customize Ribbon category from the left side.
- Make sure that Main Tabs are selected in the Customize ribbon drop-down menu on the right side. Scroll down and select the Developer checkbox (see the above screenshot).
- Click OK to save the changes.
After following the steps above, the Developer tab will appear on the ribbon in Microsoft Outlook.
Enable Developer Mode in Microsoft Outlook via Registry Editor
Now we will use the Registry Editor to enable Developer Mode in Microsoft Outlook. The Windows Registry is a hierarchical database that stores settings for the Windows operating system. You can use it to disable features on your Windows device by making changes to the Registry. However, you should follow the proper steps while doing this as any mistake while modifying the Registry could lead to serious errors in your system. That’s why we always recommend creating a System Restore Point and backing up your Registry before making any changes.
System Restore is a tool developed by Microsoft Corporation that helps users protect and repair their systems. When you turn on System Restore, it takes a snapshot of the system files and Windows Registry and saves it on your hard disk. If any problem occurs, you can run the System Restore tool to take your system to the previous working state.
Enabling Developer Mode in Microsoft Outlook will permanently enable some advanced features that are not available in the standard version of the program. If you want to disable Developer Mode, you will need to edit the Registry.
Press Win + R to launch the Run command box. Type in Regedit and click OK. You will be prompted with a UAC message, click Yes. This command will open the Registry Editor.
Now, go to the following location in the Registry Editor. To make it easier, copy the following path, paste it into the address bar of the Registry Editor, and hit Enter.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft
Now right-click on the Microsoft key and choose “New > Key.” Name this new key Office. Do the same thing to create a new subkey under the Office key, naming it 16.0.
Here, 16.0 represents the three versions of Microsoft Office, namely, Microsoft Office 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you want to create a subkey for another version of Microsoft Office, you have to use a different number in place of 16.0. The following information will help you with that.
- Office 2003 – 11.0
- Office 2007 – 12.0
- Office 2010 – 14.0
- Office 2013 – 15.0
- Office 2016 – 16.0
- Office 2019 – 16.0
- Office 2021 – 16.0
Right-click on the 16.0 subkey (or whatever the subkey you have created for your Office version) and create a new subkey. Name it Outlook. Now, right-click on the Outlook subkey and create a new subkey with the name Options. Select the Options subkey. When you select the “Options” subkey, the Registry Editor’s address bar will show the following path:
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Options
Click the Options key on the left side, then on the right-side pane, right-click and select “New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.” name it “developer tools.” The Value Data of developer tools Value should, by default, show 0. Here, 0 means disabled. To enable Developer Mode in Microsoft Outlook, you have to change its Value Data from 0 to 1. To do so, right-click on the developer tools Value and select Modify. Enter 1 in the Value Data field and click OK.
The following two points summarize this:
- 0 in the developer tools Value Data – Disable the Development Mode in Outlook.
- 1 in the developer tools Value Data – Enable the Development Mode in Outlook.
Now open Microsoft Outlook. The Development tab will be visible on its ribbon. If not, restart your computer. The registry tweaks detailed above will enable Development Mode in Microsoft Outlook permanently. This means that it cannot be disabled from Outlook Options. I have tested this on my laptop.
To disable the Development Mode in Outlook, you have to change the Value Data of developer tools Value from 1 to 0. This action will permanently disable the Developer Mode.
You cannot enable or disable the Developer Mode in Microsoft Outlook by editing the Registry. If you want to enable and disable the Developer Mode in Microsoft Outlook, you have to delete the Office subkey from the Registry Editor that you have created by following the steps explained above.
Who is the developer of Microsoft Outlook?
Outlook is one of the Microsoft Office suites of applications developed by Microsoft Corporation. The suite also includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. Outlook’s Developer Mode can be enabled to access the Developer tab on its ribbon.
Where is macro in Outlook?
The Developer tab is where you’ll find Macros in Outlook. If it’s not enabled by default, you’ll need to enable it in Outlook Options. To do so, open Outlook and go to “File > Options > Customize Ribbon.” Enable the Developer checkbox and click OK.
Hello, My name is Shari & I am a writer for the ‘Outlook AppIns’ blog. I’m a CSIT graduate & I’ve been working in the IT industry for 3 years.