Contact Problems

How to Change the Default Contact Folder in Outlook People

Rana Garcia Oct 9, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to set a specific contact folder as the default in Outlook 2021's People view, rather than the default Hotmail contacts.

How to Change the Default Contact Folder in Outlook People

Product: Microsoft Outlook 2021
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Managing multiple contact lists in Outlook and attempting to change the default address book view.
Observed behavior: Outlook defaults to the Hotmail account's contact folder in the People view, and the option to delete this default folder is disabled.

Before you start

Verify that you have added all necessary email accounts to Outlook and identify which data file contains your preferred contact list before attempting to manage your address books.

Solution 1Recommended

Change the Default Address Book for New Emails

While the People view defaults to your primary account by design, you can change which contact list appears first when composing a new message.

Outlook's People view naturally prioritizes the primary email account associated with your profile. However, if your main goal is to access a different contact list quickly when writing emails, you can change the default Address Book settings.

Open the Address Book

Launch Outlook and click on the 'Address Book' button located in the Find group on the Home ribbon.

Access Address Book Options

In the Address Book window, click on 'Tools' in the top menu and select 'Options'.

Select the Preferred Default Folder

Look for the section titled 'When opening the address book, show this address list first'. Click the dropdown menu and select your preferred contact folder, then click 'OK' to save your changes.

Change the Default Address Book for New Emails

Account Limitation: The Hotmail contact folder cannot be permanently deleted unless you completely remove the Hotmail email account from Outlook, which is not recommended if you still need to send and receive emails from it.

Solution 2

Manually Access Alternative Contact Folders in People View

Since the default People view cannot be permanently redirected to a secondary data file, you must manually navigate to your preferred contacts.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I completely delete the Hotmail contacts folder in Outlook?

No, the delete option for the default account contact folder is disabled by design. To remove the Hotmail contacts folder, you would need to remove the entire Hotmail account from your Outlook profile.

Why does Outlook show multiple contact groups in the People view?

This behavior is by design. Outlook displays a separate contact folder for each email account or data file you have connected to your profile to ensure your contacts remain organized and synchronized with their respective accounts.

How do I make my local PST contacts show up first when sending an email?

Open the Address Book from the Home tab, navigate to Tools > Options, and select your local PST contacts folder in the 'When opening the address book, show this address list first' dropdown menu.

Outlook & Email Problems