Getting started with the new Outlook for Windows

Explore personalization options and settings

If you switched from the classic Outlook for Windows or from the Mail app, you'll have the option to migrate some of your settings, which you can learn more about here. However, it's still good to familiarize yourself with the latest options. You'll find Settings in the gear icon in the upper right corner. You can also make quick updates to certain settings by clicking on the View tab.

Manage all your email and calendars in a single place

Select Add account at the bottom of your list of folders or go to Settings and choose Add account in Accounts. Currently supported accounts include Microsoft accounts for work or school, and Outlook.com, Hotmail, or Gmail accounts. In your folder list, you can mark folders, categories, or contacts from any of your accounts as Favorites for quick access at the top of the list.

Become familiar (again) with the ribbon

The top bar of the app should be familiar if you’ve used any apps like Word or Excel before, including the classic Outlook for Windows. Known as the ribbon, it is the place to find the commands you need to manage your inbox or format emails. You can make the ribbon larger (the classic experience) or smaller (the simplified experience) using the dropdown arrow on the right side of the bar. If you want to personalize the commands you see in the simplified ribbon, select Customize.

Navigation bar and My Day

On the left side you’ll see the navigation bar, which makes it simple to switch to Calendar, Contacts, or any other app you frequently use. For quick access to your calendar or tasks without leaving the inbox, you can use My Day by selecting the icon in the upper right.

Pin emails

Do you ever have trouble tracking down that key email thread you’re actively responding to? Or is there an email with key information you frequently refer to? Now, simply right-click any message and choose Pin and that email will appear at the top of your inbox, saving you time from having to go back and search for it.

Snooze email

Sometimes email is very important, but not yet. With the Snooze feature, you can schedule a time for the email to be re-delivered to your inbox, appearing at the time you want it to, so you can handle it when it’s the right time for you. Just right-click any message and choose Snooze, or select Snooze from the ribbon. Then choose the time you want it to be delivered.

Schedule when to send email

In today’s hybrid work world, your day might be someone else’s night, so you don’t want to send an email to someone in the middle of the night. With the new Outlook, it’s simple to send an email when you want to. Just select the dropdown arrow next to Send and choose Schedule send.

Categories

You might be familiar with categories, but they've been significantly upgraded. See the category names and colors directly on your messages in your inbox. Want to see everything you've tagged with that category? Just click it right on your message. You can even add a category to your Favorites.