“Note to Self” Reminder Emails in Outlook are a feature that automatically labels emails you send to yourself as “Note to Self” instead of displaying your name as the sender. So, you can easily identify self-sent emails and track personal reminders and notes. However, this can be frustrating for some users as it leads to unwanted birthday reminders and makes the inbox a bit cluttered, even if the reminder is linked to third-party apps like Facebook, which is synced with your Outlook account. In this post, we are going to talk about this issue and see how you can turn off Note to self Reminder emails in Outlook.
Why am I getting Note to Self emails on Outlook?
You are getting “Note to Self” emails because Outlook automatically labels emails that you send to yourself, which helps you manage your reminders and notes easily, even though it sometimes sends extra emails like birthday notifications. Sometimes these extra emails can fill your inbox if your birthday reminders are turned on, so you might want to disable the birthday calendar in your settings.
Turn off Note to self Reminder emails in Outlook
Since there is no direct way to turn off Note to self Reminder emails in Outlook, we are going to talk about the following workarounds.
- Disable Birthday Calendars
- Create a custom rule to move or delete emails
- Disable the Scheduling Assistant Features
- Flag emails to divert them
- Disconnect the third-party app
Let us talk about them in detail.
1] Disable Birthday Calendars
Most of the time, the annoying “Note to Self” reminders are linked to birthdays; therefore, one needs to disable birthdays from the calendar. This will stop Outlook from detecting upcoming birthdays and notifying you. To do so, you need to follow the steps mentioned below.
MS Outlook (Classic Outlook):
- Open Outlook.
- Click on the Calendar from the left section.
- Then untick Birthday to disable Birthday Calendar.
New Outlook and Outlook Web:
- Launch Outlook and then click on Settings (cog icon).
- Now, go to Calendar > View.
- You then have to untick the Birthday Calendar.
This should stop notifying you about birthdays, and you will be able to focus on your work.
2] Create a custom rule to move or delete emails
A popular workaround is to set up an Outlook rule that automatically processes note-to-self messages. Do keep in mind that this won’t stop the mail from coming; instead, it just ensures that your inbox is not filled with it. To create a custom rule to move or delete emails, you need to follow the steps mentioned below.
MS Outlook or Outlook (Classic):
- Open Outlook.
- Then, go to Files > Info.
- Click on Rules and Alerts.
- Now, click on New Rule.
- Once the Rules Wizard appears, click on Move messages with specific words in the subject to a folder.
- Keep the default selection checked, which will be “with specific words in the subject” and click on the hyperlink “specific words” from the “Step 2: Edit the rule description” box.
- Enter the word “Note to self” and click on Add > Ok.
- Now, click on the Specific folder hyperlink and select the Deleted items folder or some other folder of your choice, and click on Ok.
- Then, click on Next, follow the on-screen instructions and create a rule.
New Outlook or Outlook Web:
- Open Outlook, click on the Cog icon to open Settings, and then click on Mail > Rules.
- Now, you need to create a new rule that checks for emails with “Note to Self” in the subject line or body. So, enter a name for the rule, set Condition to Subject includes “Note to Self”.
- Now, set Add an action to “Delete”.
- Tick the Run rule now and leave the other options to default.
- Click on Save.
Finally, check if the issue is resolved.
In some cases, Outlook incorrectly handles Note-to-Self reminders by marking them as potential spam and sending them to the Junk folder. So, you can go to the Junk folder, right-click on the mail, and select Never Block Sender. After doing this, you can combine the setting with a rule to move these emails out of your main inbox. This prevents misclassification, allowing you to control the processing with rules while reducing unexpected notifications.
Read: How to create Email Templates in new Outlook app
3] Disable the Scheduling Assistant Feature
In some instances, the Scheduling Assistant in Outlook is connected to reminder emails that you may send to yourself. This feature can automatically generate reminder emails when you schedule or update appointments. To prevent this, check the scheduling settings in your Outlook app or mobile client and consider disabling the Scheduling Assistant if the option is available. Keep in mind that options may differ by version, but turning it off can help prevent unwanted reminder emails from being created.
Read: How to set up Automatic Replies or Vacation Reply in Outlook
4] Flag emails to divert them
Another workaround that you can try here is flagging the emails to divert them and stop them from interrupting your workflow. When you flag an email, you will not see its alert in your inbox. By setting up a rule (as described above) to automatically flag manually or via the Flag icon, these messages can be sorted into your flagged or task view. This lets you review your reminders when you’re ready without interrupting your daily email routine, effectively reducing their impact. This isn’t “turning off” the notifications fully, but it channels them into a less intrusive place. You need to scroll through your inbox to find the Note-to-self emails or any message you want to divert. Then, move your cursor over the email listing, and click on the Flag icon. This flags the message.
The steps above work for the new Outlook app, MS Outlook, and Outlook web.
Read: How to use Outlook Connectivity Troubleshooter in Windows 11
5] Disconnect the third-party app
One of the things that you can do in this case is disconnect third-party apps such as Facebook. Sometimes, these reminders originate from third-party apps synced with your Outlook account, such as Facebook. If your birthday reminders are coming from an external service, disconnecting it may help.
Hopefully, with the help of these solutions, your issue will be resolved.
Read: How to remove METERED NETWORK WARNING in Outlook
How do I stop note to self birthday reminders in Outlook?
To stop “Note to Self” birthday reminders in Outlook, you need to disable the Birthday Calendar, as these reminders are often linked to birthdays. Open Outlook, click on the Settings (cog icon), then navigate to Calendar > View, and untick the Birthday Calendar option. This prevents Outlook from detecting upcoming birthdays and sending notifications, allowing you to keep your inbox clutter-free and focus on your work.
Also Read: Your Outlook account settings are out of date in Calendar app.
