Cannot Remove Encryption from Sensitivity-Labeled Emails on Mobile
Question details
Users are unable to remove encryption from sensitivity-labeled emails when forwarding them via Outlook on mobile devices, preventing recipients from reading the messages.
- Product
- Microsoft Outlook Mobile
- Device & OS
- Android and iOS
- Scenario
- Forwarding an encrypted email that has a sensitivity label using a mobile device and attempting to remove the encryption.
- Observed behavior
- The original encryption is not removed even if the new label specifies no encryption. External recipients still see the encrypted label and cannot read the message, whereas this process works normally on desktop devices.
Ensure you have Microsoft 365 administrator privileges, as resolving organization-wide sensitivity label discrepancies between mobile and desktop requires access to the Microsoft Admin Center.
Open a Microsoft Support Request via Admin Center
Since this issue stems from differences in how Outlook mobile handles cross-tenant protection compared to desktop, opening a support ticket is the most effective way to address organization-wide impacts.
Outlook mobile uses a different protection architecture than the desktop version, particularly for cross-tenant scenarios. Because this affects multiple users and involves core app functionality, it requires intervention from Microsoft Support.
Go to admin.microsoft.com and sign in with your Microsoft 365 administrator credentials.
Navigate to the lower right corner or the left navigation menu and select 'Help + support'.
Enter a brief description of the mobile sensitivity label encryption issue in the search field to review initial suggestions.
Select the 'Contact Support' button and provide the necessary details to open a formal ticket for your tenant.
Use the Azure Information Protection (AIP) Mobile App
For individual external recipients who cannot view protected emails forwarded from mobile devices, using the dedicated AIP viewer app may provide temporary access.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why can I remove encryption on Windows but not on Outlook Mobile?
Outlook mobile uses a different protection architecture than the desktop version, particularly for cross-tenant scenarios. This prevents the mobile app from properly stripping the original encryption when a sensitivity label is changed during a forward.
Do external recipients always need a special app to read protected emails?
If the native Outlook mobile app fails to decrypt or process the sensitivity label correctly, external recipients may temporarily be required to use the Azure Information Protection (AIP) mobile app to view the protected content until Microsoft provides a broader fix.
Can this sensitivity label issue be fixed by a regular user?
No. Because this behavior is rooted in the Outlook mobile app's core handling of cross-tenant protection, it typically requires an organization's IT administrator to submit a support request to Microsoft to investigate the tenant-level configuration.
