Update on Focused Inbox rollout for Outlook 2016 for Windows users

Microsoft

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.
  • 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
No, I would not delay the rollout. There is nothing wrong with Focused Inbox at all, and it is fully deployed across all commercial Office 365 users in web, mobile and mac. The specific item on Windows that we wanted to update prior to going to deferred was that the "Arrange by" sorts moved from accessible in one click, to accessible in two clicks with the implementation of the new Focused/Other header at the top of the message list. We are going to bring that back up one level. That really shouldn't be a blocker. Regardless, that tweak will hit Monthly channel shortly anyway, so being there is the best place to be.

Business Essentials is one of the plans that does not include the Office desktop apps, and therefore does not get Focused Inbox (even when the MA requirement is removed). You would need to move to Business Premium, install the Office apps from that plan, in order to get FI.

And were I to install MA would FI then be activated?

Understood - Last question, will the Focused Inbox work on-prem if we upgraded to Exchange server 2016?

If you move to Business Premium, install Outlook from the Office 365 portal and have Modern Auth enabled (it is an admin setting, not an install) then yes, you would have Focused Inbox.
We do not have plans to move Focused Inbox to Exchange 2016 on-prem. The backend machine learning and processes required to power the intelligence, and the need to keep updating definitions of what is Focused v Other, means it doesn't make for a good on-prem feature.

Sorry, just to be absolutely clear. Are you saying that on Business Essentials I can NOT get FI on my Windows PC installed Outlook irrespective of whether or not MA is enabled? If that is correct, is there any intention to have FI in the future on a PC with a Business Essentails subscription?

Correct. you cannot use FI on your windows PC installed Outlook with Business Essentials, and you never will be able to. They key is that you need a version of Outlook (in particular, the subscription version) that supports Focused inbox. The only versions of Outlook that support Focused Inbox are found in Business Premium, E3, etc.

Many thanks. Couldn't be clearer!

 

To those like me using a pc with Business Essentials, I periodically log on to office.com, select all the stuff in the non FI section and move them out of the inbox or delete them en masse.

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?

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 version of Outlook you are using is able to show Focused Inbox. What is happening here is that your institution needs to enable a setting to allow you to sign in with Modern Authentication. Since they instead are using Basic Authentication, you don't see FI. We are releasing an update in the next couple months that will remove the need for your company to do this. So if they cannot turn on Modern Auth (which they would need to do for the entire company, not just you), you will need to wait for that.

As for Outlook.com, it is not yet supported in Outlook 2016. If you need FI, you will need to use the web experience or the Windows 10 Mail app.

Thank you for your response.  

Thats wrong.

 

If I go to buy Outlook today, there is no difference in the marketing of perpetual or 365. No where on perpetual does it say what features it is missing, or that it is not the same as 365. It is sold as Outlook 2016 period. It is sold as the same product.

 

I dont expect perpetual to be updated to 2019 or whatever the next version is, but I do expect it to be exactly the same as 365, now and forever.

 

The difference between 365 and perpetual is only promoted as a different licencing regime, not a different product.

@Allen Filush I just installed yesterdays patches, bringing My client up to Version 1708 (Build 8431.2079 Click-to-Run) Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted), we have Modern auth enbabled. Still no focused Inbox. Please advise.

 

Get-OrganizationConfig | Format-Table -Auto Name,OAuth*

Name OAuth2ClientProfileEnabled

---- --------------------------

***.onmicrosoft.com True

 

I have MS Office 365 for home/personal  version 1708 and I still haven't received the Focused Inbox on my desktop Outlook 2016 --  it appears on outlook.com (although I don't import my active email accounts in to it - they are all IMAP and Exchange and I want to keep it that way) 

 

I recently set up a new laptop with a fresh install of O365 and it doesn't show up either. 

 

Focused inbox works fine the way it is on my android devices. 

 

Is there a setting that I have to do on our computers to allow "Modern  Authentication" or something.  I have a small business - just me. 

 

I really want to make this work - it will help keep me organized. 

 

You're using an Outlook.com mailbox (consumer account)? Focused is not yet supported for Outlook.com in Outlook desktop; at this time, you need to have a mailbox on Office 365 business/enterprise. When they remove the modern auth requirement, it should work in the desktop. 


@Diane Poremsky wrote:

You're using an Outlook.com mailbox (consumer account)? Focused is not yet supported for Outlook.com in Outlook desktop; at this time, you need to have a mailbox on Office 365 business/enterprise. When they remove the modern auth requirement, it should work in the desktop. 


Thank you - when do you think that might be - removing modern authorization   I use Office 365 for personal. I do have an exchange account that i get free with my Comcast business internet.  I am not sure that matters. 

I wish Microsoft would explain this further. I can find Focused info on my Help in my build of Outlook. 

 

It only works with office 365 exchange accounts - so if comcast uses office 365, rather than their own exchange servers in-house, it might work there (if it doesn't, they need to change a setting to enable it). I don't have an ETA for outlook.com support, sorry.