How to get Outlook for your desktop

This article is for customers who are using an Microsoft 365 plan that doesn't include Outlook 2016. Your goal is to import/export email and contacts to Outlook.

First, you need to understand there are two types of Outlook:

• Outlook 2016, which is an app you install on your computer. Many Microsoft 365 plans include Outlook 2016.

• Outlook on the web, which is an email service. It is not installed on your computer. You access it over the internet, like you access Gmail, Amazon, and Facebook. Many Microsoft 365 plans give you a mailbox in Outlook on the web.

Outlook 2016 has a feature that you use for importing/exporting email and contacts to your email account.

To get email and contacts to or from Outlook on the web, you need to use an Outlook app such as Outlook 2016 or earlier.

There are a few ways you can get access to Outlook 2016 (or earlier):

• Sign up for a free 30 day trial of Microsoft 365. Make sure you sign up for a version that includes Outlook 2016! Once you sign up for a trial, here what you need to do:

  1. Download Office 2016 (after you've verified it includes Outlook 2016) to your computer.

  2. Add your email account to Outlook 2016.

     Outlook 2016 will sync with Outlook on the web.

  3. Import or export your email, contacts, and calendar.

     Again, Outlook 2016 will sync with Outlook on the web.

  4. Sign in to your email account on Outlook on the web. You'll see your email, contacts, and calendar there.

  When you're done importing or exporting your email data, let the trial run out so you aren't charged anything. You'll still have access to your email data in Outlook on the web, but you'll no longer be able to use Outlook 2016.

• Find a friend who has Outlook 2016, 2013, or 2010 on their computer. You can use their version of Outlook like a tool to import/export your email data to Outlook on the web. Here's what you do:

  • Add your email account to Outlook on their computer.

    Outlook will sync with Outlook on the web and you'll see your email, contacts, and calendar there

  • Export or import your email, contacts, and calendar to your email account (not your friend's email account).

  When you're finished importing your email data, remove your email account from your friend's version of Outlook. You'll still have access to your email data in Outlook on the web.

• Buy it. Outlook for your desktop has a lot of great features for managing your email. However, this is an expensive purchase for importing and exporting your email data, and not recommended if that's your only reason for getting it. If you do want to buy it, you can get it from Microsoft Store, or another retailer. Or you can upgrade to a Microsoft 365 plan that includes it.