Overview
Sometimes Hoxhunt button might not appear in your email client. This article contains the most common causes and helps you and your IT support to find a solution.
- Identifying the Hoxhunt button version
- Hoxhunt button is missing from my Outlook (Mac)
- Hoxhunt button is missing from my Outlook Web Application (OWA)
- Hoxhunt button is missing from my Outlook Mobile App (iOS, Android)
- Hoxhunt button is missing from my Outlook 2010 (Windows)
- I'm running the COM add-in version of Hoxhunt button (Windows)
- Hoxhunt button is missing from my Gmail (Chrome extension)
- Hoxhunt button is missing from my Gmail (native Gmail add-on)
Temporary workarounds
To make sure you are able to report Hoxhunt simulations despite the missing Hoxhunt button, it's a good idea to try Hoxhunt button in different Outlook clients like OWA (Outlook for the Web) and mobile devices (Outlook for iOS/Android). You can then troubleshoot the issue together with your IT team or Hoxhunt Support team without having to worry about missing simulations because of the problem.
Identifying the Hoxhunt button version
Hoxhunt button is available in different versions. Depending on the email infrastructure your organization has, you have been distributed with one of the buttons.
NOTE: The availability of Hoxhunt button across different email clients may vary from organization to organization.
In some troubleshooting scenarios it's important to identify which version of the Hoxhunt button you have installed. After you have identified the version you have installed, check the troubleshooting steps specific to that version below.
Versions available for different email clients
| Email client | Office add-in | COM add-in | Chrome app |
| Outlook for Mac | X | ||
| Outlook Web Application (OWA) | X | ||
| Outlook Mobile (iOS)* | X | ||
| Outlook Mobile (Android)* | X | ||
| Outlook 2010 | X | ||
| Outlook 2013 or later | x | (x) | |
| Gmail (Chrome desktop) | X | ||
| Gmail App (Android, iOS) | - | - | - |
* = only available to O365 users
X = only version available
- = not currently available
x = default version, please see below
(x) = optional version, used in some scenarios, please see below
Determine your Hoxhunt button version
If you are running Outlook 2013 or later, you may have either Office add-in or COM add-in version of the Hoxhunt button. You can easily identify which one you have.
- Open your desktop version Outlook.
- Select any regular email and click on Hoxhunt's "Report this email" button.
If you are presented with two options "Report as phishing" and "Report as spam", you are running the Office add-in version of Hoxhunt button.
If you are not presented with these options, you are running the COM add-in version of Hoxhunt button.
Hoxhunt button is missing from my Outlook (Windows)
Hoxhunt's "Report this email" button should be visible in your desktop Outlook in the Ribbon. Please check the following before contacting your IT team or Hoxhunt Support.
Connected Experiences is turned off
Make sure you have enabled Connected Experiences and Optional Connected Experiences in File > Office Account > Account Privacy > Manage Settings (see Connected Experiences in Office). If you are unable to change the setting, it is managed by your Administrator (please contact your IT team and refer to this MS article). (Connected Experiences were introduced in Office 365 ProPlus version 1904 and Office for Mac version 16.28.) See also Overview of optional connected experiences in Office.
Reading Pane is turned off
If you are running Office 365 version 2002 or later, please make sure you have Reading Pane turned on or open email to a separate window. Microsoft has changed the visibility rules of add-ins since version 2002.
(If your HoxHunt button is displayed greyed out / inactive, please refer to this article.)
Metered Connection feature is turned on
Make sure to disable Metered connection in your network connection settings. For example, if you are using a mobile hotspot, Metered connection might be enabled to reduce data transfer amounts.
Simplified Ribbon is turned on
If you have enabled Simplified Ribbon, Hoxhunt button might be hidden behind the drop-down menus. For more information about Simplified Ribbon, please check this MS article.
Check which mailbox you currently have selected
Outlook add-ins are designed to activate in the user's main mailbox only. Add-ins do not activate in shared mailboxes, folders from other user's mailboxes opened with delegate access, archive mailboxes, or public folders.
Check you have a suitable email account
The Outlook client must be connected to an Exchange server or Office 365 using a direct connection. When configuring the client, the user must choose an Exchange, Office 365, or Outlook.com account type. If the client is configured to connect with POP3 or IMAP, add-ins will not load.
Check if Hoxhunt add-in has been deployed to you
If you are running Office add-in version of Hoxhunt button, make sure Hoxhunt add-in is listed in Home > Manage Add-ins > Admin-managed.
If you are running COM add-in version of Hoxhunt button, make sure Hoxhunt add-in is listed in File > Options > Add-ins > COM Add-ins. Also check Disabled Add-ins.
If you are unable to locate Hoxhunt add-in in either location, please check next step.
Check if Hoxhunt add-in is visible in other Outlook clients
Check if you can see Hoxhunt button in your Outlook Web Application (OWA). Please ask for assistance from your IT team to access OWA. If the button is not visible in OWA, please check this article first and only then contact your IT team.
Check if you can see Hoxhunt button in your Outlook Mobile App (iOS, Android). If you are unsure how to locate the button in Outlook Mobile, please check this article. If the button is not visible in Outlook Mobile, please check further below and only then contact your IT team.
If you can see Hoxhunt button in OWA and/or Outlook Mobile, please check if there are other add-ins missing from your Outlook Ribbon. If any are missing, please contact your IT support for assistance.
Office add-ins have been disabled by your Administrator
Check if you can locate Store icon, Manage Add-ins icon or Get Add-ins icon in Outlook client, OWA and Outlook Mobile App. If any are missing, your organization might have disabled all Office add-ins. Please check this KB article from Microsoft for further information and contact your IT team.
Office Cache has been corrupted
In some rare cases Outlook is unable to sync the user profile settings from O365 or Exchange server. You can try clearing the Office cache by check this article and this article.
"Do not save unencrypted files to disk" is turned off
Please ask your IT team if "Do not save unencrypted files to disk" has been set to value enabled, in IE's GPO settings, The correct value is not configured or 0.
Microsoft's official troubleshooting steps
Please check this article from MS.
Hoxhunt button is missing from my Outlook (Mac)
Connected Experiences is turned off
Please make sure you have ticked File > Preferences > Privacy > Enable Connected Experiences (check this MS article for more information). If you are unable to change the setting, it is managed by your Administrator (please contact your IT team and refer to this MS article).
You have recently switched to New Outlook for Mac (2020)
Please check this separate KB article for assistance: Hoxhunt add-in missing from New Outlook for Mac (2020)
Hoxhunt button is missing from my Outlook Web Application (OWA)
If you are unable to locate Hoxhunt button in OWA, there is most likely something wrong in the distribution of the Hoxhunt button. Distribution is done by your IT support so please contact them for further assistance.
Another possibility is that your organization has distributed a stand-alone installation of the Hoxhunt button for your desktop Outlook only. In this case the button is not available in OWA.
Are you using OWA with a mobile device?
Add-ins don’t work in the modern version of Outlook on the Web in a mobile browser.
For more information, see: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office/dev/add-ins/outlook/outlook-mobile-addins
Hoxhunt button is missing from my Outlook Mobile App (iOS, Android)
Hoxhunt button is only available to Office 365 users. If your mailbox is on an on-premise Exchange server, Hoxhunt button is not available to you in Outlook Mobile App.
- If you meet the requirements but still can't see Hoxhunt button, you may have Connected Experiences disabled.
For iOS, please contact your IT team and refer to this article.
For Android, please contact your IT team and refer to this article.
On how to locate Hoxhunt button in Outlook Mobile please check this article.
Hoxhunt button is missing from my Outlook 2010 (Windows)
If you are unable to locate Hoxhunt button in Outlook 2010, there is either something wrong in the distribution of the Hoxhunt button or the add-in has been disabled by Outlook.
First make sure the Hoxhunt button has not been disabled in File > Options > Add-ins. From the Manage dropdown list at the bottom select COM Add-ins and click Go... Make sure the checkbox next to Hoxhunt Report add-in has been ticked.
If the above didn't solve the problem, then the issue may be in distribution. Distribution is done by your IT support so please contact them for further assistance.
I'm running the COM add-in version of Hoxhunt button (Windows)
Make sure the Hoxhunt button has not been disabled in File > Options > Add-ins. From the Manage dropdown list at the bottom select COM Add-ins and click Go... Make sure the checkbox next to Hoxhunt Report add-in has been ticked.
If the above didn't solve the problem, then the issue may be in distribution. Distribution is done by your IT support so please contact them for further assistance.
Hoxhunt button is missing from my Gmail (Chrome extension)
Important: Using Hoxhunt button in Gmail requires Chrome web browser.
You are not logged in Chrome with your enterprise account
Make sure you have logged in to both Chrome and Gmail with the same account.
Chrome Browser Sync is turned off
Make sure you have Browser Sync enabled.
Hoxhunt browser extension has been hidden
Hoxhunt button (extension) may have been hidden from the Chrome toolbar. Please check Manage Extensions > Arrange on your toolbar in this Google article on how to unhide extensions.
Check chrome://extensions/ and see if Hoxhunt extension is listed. Make sure it's active (blue slider).
You are in Incognito Mode
Make sure you are not in Incognito mode.
Hoxhunt button is missing from my Gmail (native Gmail add-on)
- Locate the arrow in the bottom-right corner of your Gmail screen.
- Click it to open the side panel. Hoxhunt button should now be visible.
