(Originally published on April 4, 2023 by Margie Clinton)
Hello, my name is Margie Clinton, and I’m a Group Product Manager on the Outlook team. Since I last connected with you in September, we have been hard at work, listening to and taking action on feedback about the new Outlook for Windows preview. Today millions of people are using the new Outlook for Windows preview daily to better help them connect and coordinate with their worlds, and we’re extremely excited to continue our momentum on this journey.
Remember, if you still haven’t tried the new Outlook for Windows preview, and want to try it, all you need to do is slide the Try the new Outlook toggle located in the upper-right corner of your classic Outlook for Windows or the Mail and Calendar apps and follow the onscreen instructions.
NOTE: You can switch back to your previous Outlook experience. Just slide the toggle off and it will automatically open your previous version with no data or email loss.
Support for third-party accounts in New Outlook for Windows
The initial release of this preview only supported first-party accounts from Microsoft, whether they be work, school, or personal. But Outlook is for everyone, whatever accounts they use - just like on our mobile and Mac apps. Today, we will begin to roll out support for Gmail accounts to those using the preview of the new Outlook for Windows. Soon, we will also add support for Yahoo and iCloud, as well as the ability to connect your mailbox through IMAP. It’s our intention that every person be able to access all of their emails – in one spot – on any Windows 10 or Windows 11 device.
Longtime Outlook for Windows users will note that third-party account support has also been improved over the classic client experience, which didn’t have Google Calendar or Contacts support. Now people can use their Gmail email, Google Calendar and Contacts within the new Outlook for Windows preview. This has been a popular ask and is made possible by our modern codebase in the new Outlook for Windows.
To check whether you can add a third-party email to your account, choose Add account at the bottom of the folder pane, or click Accounts > Email accounts > Settings, enter your Gmail account, and follow the prompts to authenticate.
If you can’t add your Gmail account yet, please be patient as we roll this out to people worldwide. Users will see a call out when the ability to add a Gmail account is available for them.
In addition to beginning to support third-party email accounts, we have added features designed to make writing and managing emails easier and more fun. Some of those include:
- Rich editing, spelling, and auto complete suggestions powered by Microsoft Editor.
- The ability to send emails with polls to help make decisions quicker. (Work and School accounts only)
- Delay the delivery of an email for up to 10 seconds so you have a chance to “undo” sending – always an excellent feature if you have a typo or accidentally forgot someone on an email – or just want to make a few quick changes.
- The ability to join a Skype or Teams call directly from the new Outlook for Windows.
- The ability to pin important emails to the top of your inbox – helping ensure you don’t forget to follow up on those most important messages.
Now you can pin those emails you have to reply to right at the top of your message list
We have made some improvements to the Calendar – ensuring that there is time for important people and events – across work and life including:
- Google calendar support
- The ability to add multiple shared calendars
- Supporting multiple time zones
- Adding daily weather in Calendar view
Fresh look at our updated calendar surface in the new Outlook for Windows preview
And of course, there still are several notable features that help you stay more organized including:
- The ability to track packages and check in to flights directly from your Inbox.
- Reminders about important messages that still need a reply.
- Search folders for quick and easy access to all of your emails.
- The ability to customize your email density and views.
Tracking flight reservations is a breeze in the new Outlook for Windows preview
What's next?
While we’re very happy with what we have built thus far with the new Outlook for Windows, there is plenty still to do. In addition to continuing to address your feedback and requests as they come in, we are working on:
- Numerous visual updates and personalization options so you can create your preferred email experience.
- We're giving our calendar surface a fresh new look with bolder colors and better readability. Whether you're scanning your day or organizing your month, your calendar will look beautiful.
- Support for Yahoo, iCloud and IMAP email accounts.
- Offline support so you can get things done and access content even when not connected to the Internet.
- Native ICS file type support.
And of course, the new Outlook for Windows looks great in dark mode.
Requirements
- Minimum OS version Windows 10 Version 1809 (Build 17763)
- A Microsoft work or school account, or a personal Microsoft account (MSA) or Gmail account (Support rolling out)
- Internet connection (at this time)
Availability
These features are rolling out and will become available to all new Outlook for Windows users in the coming days and weeks.
Features are released over some time to ensure things are working smoothly. We highlight features that you may not have because they’re slowly releasing to larger numbers of Insiders. Sometimes we remove elements to further improve them based on your feedback. Though this is rare, we also reserve the option to pull a feature entirely out of the product, even if you, as an Insider, have had the opportunity to try it. Taking time to iterate on and roll out improvements to the preview is how we make sure the experience is the best it can be.
If you are interested in the new Outlook for Windows, be sure to toggle into the experience!
Feedback
We look forward to continuing to build Outlook for Windows using the valuable input we receive from you. If you have any feedback or suggestions for improvements, please click Help > Feedback in Outlook on Windows to let us know. Actionable feedback is the most useful – tell us what you’re trying to do, and if anything fails to meet your hopes and expectations.
Learn about the Microsoft 365 Insider program and sign up for the Microsoft 365 Insider newsletter to get the latest information about Insider features in your inbox once a month!