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MicrosoftUpdate on Focused Inbox rollout for Outlook 2016 for Windows users
Edited: Nov 10, 2017 with updated information.
Focused Inbox is coming to an Outlook near you! Here is an update on our status for Outlook 2016 for Windows. If you want to see our latest for other platforms, see our blog post, as these details haven’t changed.
Note: we have provided admins the ability to control the rollout of Focused Inbox in their organizations. For more details, read our blog post on admin controls.
Rollout status
As a reminder, there is a client and service side component required for Focused Inbox to appear in Outlook. The user’s mailbox in Office 365 & Outlook.com must receive a service side update to be Focused Inbox enabled. Secondly, the user must have a build of Outlook that includes the client-side updates necessary for Focused Inbox to appear.
Service side status:
We deployed to 100% of Office 365 (Exchange Online) and Outlook.com mailboxes. This is no longer a factor in availabilty.
Client side status:
There are a few client side requirements:
- Requires build 16.0.7967.2xxx+.
- This build began rolling out on April 21, 2017 to the Monthly (formerly Current) Channel for Office 365 ProPlus as Version 1703.
- Those using a Semi-Annual (formerly Deferred) Channel build will not have access to this feature right now, as those channels offer delayed access to builds. Semi-Annual Channel will get Focused Inbox in 2018.
- Currently, the feature requires Office 365 modern authentication be enabled.
- Starting with build 16.0.8730 Version 1711, this requirement will no longer apply
- If you are using a build prior to 1711, modern authentication must be enabled in Exchange Online. See Enable Exchange Online for modern authentication
- Review Using Office 365 modern authentication with Office clients before getting started
- Modern authentication is automatically on for Office 2016 client apps. However, it is possible to block this using a registry key. See How modern authentication works for Office 2016 client apps to ensure the Registry key is properly set.
- Previous use of Clutter
- To ensure a good experience for those who previously used Clutter, user may get Focused Inbox rolled out in a defaulted-off state. See the chart in the “Transition from Clutter” section of our blog post.
186 Replies
Hi Allen, quick question regarding "teaching" Outlook about what a user wants to flow to Focused versus Other; when you right-click and 'Move to Other' or 'Move to Focused', is it learning based on the sender of the email and/or the subject or type of email? For example, if I get a response to a meeting request from my boss and move that to Other, will all my boss' emails start to go to Other, or just meeting request responses?
- AllenFilush
Both play into the machine learning involved. However in this case, that signal is unlikely to override the prominence privided in the algorithm for one's direct boss. One of the benefits of having the Focused/Other intelligence housed in our service is that we can continue to make it better. I'll pass along this feedback to the team.
I appologize if this is redundant, I've read this and other threads multiple times, I'm just trying to get some clarfication as to if I should already have access to Focused Inbox (or when its going to be available) in Outlook 2016. I'm currently using Office 365 Personal (Subscription) with the version and build info below. I have two email accounts, one is a personal one (outlook.com) and the other is from my institution (Office 365 ProPlus). I believe both are Exchange accounts (that's what it says when I look at account settings in Outlook 2016). When I logon to the web version of both accounts I have Focused Inbox, and FI also shows up on Windows 10 Mail app, however it does not display in Outlook 2016 (no option under 'View' tab). Is this behaving as it should?
I also have access to Outlook 2016 through my institution, if I install this 'ProPlus' version instead of my Home one will I then have access to Focused Inbox? This is actually causing some issues for me as I used to use Clutter to organize my inboxs, but since I turned on Focused Inbox on the web access Clutter is obviosuly no longer working which is leading to a very 'cluttered' inbox in Outlook 2016 (my primiary method of checking mail) since there is no FI. Please advise, thanks.
Outlook 2016 (Office 365 Home Subscription)
Version: 1708 (Build 8431.2070 Click to run)
Monthly Channel (Targetted)
The focused inbox has disappeared from my outlook.com/hotmail.com account and i am not sure where the emails have gone that were in the other folder. The clutter folder has not been updated since May when i switched on the focused inbox. The Focused Inbox has disappeared from the Options->Display Settings menu.
Why has this happened and where are my emails?
- AllenFilushhey Justin - Focused inbox doesn't move any email. It is all still in your inbox. If it is on, you see it in two tabs. If it is off, you just see all the email together in one view.
Clutter was decommissioned as we moved to Focused Inbox.
Thanks for the updates on how the rollout is going etc..
I finally got it working for my O2016 full client by enabling modern auth for Exchange (I had it on for the tennant already but not specifically Exchange).
One more question about Outlook multiple account behaviour - Focused inbox works properly for my personal (O365) & Work (O365) account when configured in Outlook as the primary mailbox. If I add the other account as a secondary mailbox Focused inbox doesn't show for it (regardless of which is primary or secondary).
Is this the expected behaviour & anything on the roadmap to allow Focused all the time?
Thanks
- AllenFilush@ben: It will work for Office 365 and Outlook.com mailboxes, no matter how many you have connected. It won't work for Gmail and Exchange on-prem mailboxes.
- I have 2x versions of Outlook, version 1705 and version 1701. 1705 has the focused inbox, version 1701 does not. Would I be correct to say the focused inbox is not available at version 1701? The Microsoft support agent told me this is not correct, but that is what I am seeing.
We turned on modern authentication early this morning and so far so good. Many have reported in that they have focused inbox. We notified regional IT directors of the change being made last week and posted to Yammer All Company. This week thursday we will do live webinar training on Focused inbox and a few other email features.
Christine
I wanted to seek some clarification. I am an office 365 home user and looking to utilize focused inbox. I am a windows insider running Office 365 ver 1704. But I dont see any focused inbox. Since I use OWA/outlook.com as by backend email service, I thought using that with Outlook 2016 would enable focused inbox. I obviously dont have the ability to change OWA and turn on modern authentication. Is it just not available for us home users yet?
Thanks
>> Since I use OWA/outlook.com as by backend email service
As in consumer Outlook.com? It's not yet supported in the desktop - they are working on it though.
Yes at home I am using the consumer outlook.com. Thanks for clarifying as everything coming out of microsoft just refers to Outlook 2016 and its not clear between office 365 pro/business and office 365 home. Would be nice/helpful if they seperated the two out when releasing notes. At least I now know its not yet available vs something is not working on my devices.
It's available for some. I had it show up in my OWA. I couldn't say if it showed up in Outlook client as I didn't enable it.
I'm seeing some odd behavior here. My home computer (Win10 1703 Enterprise, O2016 1703 7967.2139) has Focused Inbox enabled.
My office desktop and Surface have the same software config but they do not Focused Inbox.
The only difference between the two setups are that the home computer is connected via AAD and the office machines are domain joined.
Any ideas?
- AllenFilushLuckily, it does not have anything to do with Windows, domain joining or AAD. Unfortunately, that doesn't help you troubleshoot. Let me follow up with you 1 to 1.
We have latest Outlook 2016 and the used PowerShell to make sure tenant had Focused Inbox as true and modern authentication, and yes, First Release and still no Focused Inbox. What gives? Thanks!
I believe so as we are what shows as version 1704 (Build 8067.2032)
- AllenFilushJohn Wayne - I don't have a date to share, but as soon as we do it will be up on the Office 365 Roadmap. And your point is understood about PowerShell skills. Our admin center has been improving day by day, but there is certainly more to do. Feedback taken.
Jaymz - Yep, that is right. Just need another update to your client, which should be rolling out as we speak. Just note that, as explained above, you also need Modern Auth.Just in case anyone else goes through this. Just spent a couple of hours with the Outlook team on a service request for this. Here is what we did...
Disabled Cached Exchange Mode
Removed Profile, Added New Profile, Disabled Cached Exchanged Mode
Verified Modern Auth
Verifed OWA has Focused Inbox
Ran OffCat
Changed all my autodiscover settings for some reason
Reinstalled Office 2016 from CTR
Attempted to enable Multi-Factor Authentication (I had to fight against this one... almost locked me out)
A bunch of reinstalls again..
Still no focused inbox. They are escalating I guess.
- Hi Allen, Any timeline on the future update which removes the need for modern authentication to be enabled? This is the only current blocker for me but a significant one. Is this on the Office 365 Roadmap? If not it should be! I must confess without your information I would have been frustrated in understanding why Focused Inbox wasn't enabled for me. A final point, and I have shared elsewhere, is the assumption around PowerShell skills. Smaller shops with less experienced admins NEED a UI. This really isn't an afterthought. Thanks for the update. Regards
Thanks for this update, it's really appreciated.
