Summary
Email clients save email addresses you have sent messages to in the past in what is called the auto-complete list. Sometimes you may enter the wrong address for a recipient or the recipient changes their address. This article details the process of removing a saved address from the auto-complete list in Microsoft Outlook on the Web and Outlook Desktop Apps for both Windows and MacOS.
Important: Your auto-complete list is not backed up. If you delete an entry from the auto-complete list, there is no way to recover it except by typing in the email address again.
How-To
Task: To remove an email address from the auto-complete list
If you are experiencing an error indicating that no match is found or that the message cannot be sent because one of the addresses is invalid, clearing your auto-complete list could solve the issue.
Note: These instructions apply to Microsoft Outlook on the Web, Microsoft Outlook Desktop App for Windows, and Microsoft Outlook Desktop App for MacOS.
Instructions
Step 1 - Open your USNH Email or your Outlook Desktop App Client
Step 2 - Click the New email button to start composing a new email
Step 3 - In the "To: field", start typing an email address
Step 4 - When the contact you want to hide appears in the list of suggested contacts, look for the X to the right of the contact's name
Step 5 - Select the X and the contact will be removed from the list
Note: If you cannot delete an entry, then either the address is coming from the Global Address List (GAL) or from your personal Contacts. You cannot delete the entries from the GAL, but you can delete/update entries within your personal Contacts (e.g. People).
Outcome
An address from your auto-complete list should be removed.
Further Readings
Microsoft Learn - The Outlook AutoComplete list
Microsoft Support - Manage suggested recipients in the To, Cc, and Bcc boxes
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