New Outlook: Users Say It's Broken—Microsoft response.
I had the opportunity to interview Caitlin Hart, the Principal Product Manager for New Outlook, where I asked the challenging questions of frustrated New Outlook users, IT Consultants, and IT developers. We talked about: Is the New Outlook just a wrapper for the web version? Why didn’t Microsoft recreate Classic Outlook from scratch? Why are users forced to switch to the New Outlook app? Why are some users still resistant to adopting the New Outlook? When will New Outlook meet the needs of power users? How is Microsoft encouraging VBA developers to stay ahead? And more Watch the video for Caitlin's responses. Video: https://youtu.be/5WYjmzrOZI8 #traccreations4e-p25 4/26/2025Outlook 365: Folder sorting resets automatically to A–Z
Outlook 365 – Folder sorting resets automatically Environment: - Outlook desktop app (Microsoft 365) - Exchange / Office 365 mailbox - Dark mode enabled - Multiple shared mailboxes Problem description: Outlook automatically changes the folder sorting/display settings without user action. The option “Sort subfolders A to Z” reactivates randomly during the day. The configured sorting (e.g., Received – Descending) resets several times per day. In View Settings, the sorting remains configured correctly, but visually Outlook displays a different order. The issue occurs across multiple folders (Inbox, shared mailboxes). Actions already taken: - Verified and modified sorting via View > View Settings > Sort. - Applied the same view to multiple folders. - Confirmed that the settings remain saved correctly. - Issue persists: the parameter stays the same, but Outlook displays mails differently after refresh. Possible causes considered: 1. Outlook bug – display refresh resets the sorting visually even though settings remain unchanged. 2. Corrupted Outlook views – local view definition might be corrupted (outlook.exe /cleanviews). 3. Outlook add-in – third-party add-in may override sorting. 4. Exchange synchronization – server-side policy may enforce default sorting on shared mailboxes. 5. Recent Microsoft 365 updates – some users have reported similar issues in 2025 (views automatically resetting). Request: - Confirm whether this is a known Outlook 365 bug related to automatic resetting of folder views/sorting. - Provide solution or patch/workaround. - Official Microsoft recommendations to prevent Outlook from reverting to A → Z sorting automatically.
Outlook signatures
Hello Please i need your help on this issue. It no longer seems to be the client version or version of Outlook. Please see below the Outlook New which is set up on a different device signed in with an account under the same tenancy with the same issue not being able to have multiple signatures. (This is now the same Version and Client Version of Outlook New on Windows 11/Outlook Web Access that many other clients and even myself and Stephan, who do have the option for multiple signatures.)
The New Outlook seems to have lost a feature
Does anyone know how to get a default set (like we used to have) to automatically get a BCC of all email sent and replied to? I am using the client on my laptop and the IOS App on my iPhone. I am interested in knowing how to get this feature back. It used to be a setting - which is no longer available. I've tried creating rules and quick steps - neither has worked.
Outlook “Messages in This Conversation” Shows Unrelated Emails Despite Exact Match
Hi, I’m having an issue with Outlook’s “Messages in this Conversation” search. When I right‑click an email, say the subject is “Weekly Project Update”, and choose Find Related - Messages in this Conversation, I expect to see only emails with that same subject. I’ve even set the advanced search condition to Subject is (exactly). Despite that, I still get a mix of unrelated emails like “Re: Lunch Plans” or “Quick Question” appearing in the results. It feels like the search isn’t respecting the exact-match setting and is just grabbing anything loosely related. its Outlook 2016 Couldnt find any information about it online, any help would be appreciated, thanks.
Outlook 2021 & 2024 Home and Business app crash
Hi and good day everyone, I'm having an issue with Outlook, the app suddenly closes and crashes when I try to open some emails. This issue doesn't happen on Outlook 2016, which opens emails normally. The error shown in the Event Viewer is as below. I tried uninstalling the previous update and now have updated to the latest version, but the issue persists. Are there any patches available to solve this problem?Add Owned Account as Alias
Hi All, I have two Microsoft accounts at present: an old one originally used for OneDrive, and another I had made more recently to get the @outlook.com handle so that I have the same email for Outlook and Gmail. We recently purchased the family plan on my old OneDrive account, and it's asked me to create an Outlook alias. Is there any way to add the other @outlook.com account to my OneDrive account as an alias? Do I have to delete the @outlook one and reclaim the domain as an alias? If so, what is the delay period between that email becoming available again? Curious to hear what everyone thinks the easyist plan of action is, Cheers, FishEmbracing the future: Transitioning to new Outlook for Windows
As technology moves forward, so do the ways we communicate. The world is rapidly changing with cloud computing, hybrid ways of working, and generative AI. To keep up with all these changes, Outlook is getting a makeover too. The updated Outlook for Windows is built to meet the needs of modern email and time management, with agility, consistency, and manageability. Since I last connected with you in November 2024, Outlook for Windows has evolved rapidly - delivering dozens more capabilities from classic Outlook, key improvements for Shared Mailbox, Offline and PST, and many new experiences to enhance productivity. This update shares examples and details on how Outlook for Windows is: Agile: Built to be responsive to your emerging needs Consistent: Streamlined across Windows and web Manageable for IT: Faster resolutions with less effort Agility: Built to be responsive to your emerging needs Every month you will see us deliver top requested capabilities from classic Outlook, new Copilot innovation, and improved stability and performance. Outlook for Windows is packed with capabilities designed to boost your productivity and make your day-to-day tasks easier. Innovation built in Outlook for Windows' new agile codebase has made it easier for stability, performance and security by design. We deliver features that were never implemented in classic Outlook. Now, you can enjoy top-requested features in Outlook like pinning important emails, tabbed search to find people, files and Teams messages more easily, iCal sync, scheduled mail, new themes and colored mailbox folders, and more. We've updated meeting experiences to support hybrid and global participation with capabilities such as support for up to 21 time zones and hybrid RSVP, sorting and search for tracking attendees, and the ability to follow meetings to be aware of what happened without needing to attend. These new time management features are ideal for our most dedicated users, including delegates. New shared mailbox capabilities We heard you! One of the top experiences we are improving is working with shared mailbox experiences. Outlook for Windows blends classic Outlook capabilities for shared mailboxes with new capabilities to address your long-standing needs. You can now add shared mailboxes as accounts alongside shared folders. With the new “Shared with me” page you can now view permissions on shared folders or mailboxes to identify and resolve access issues. You can control how the shared mailboxes and folders will be displayed in the Folder pane. The Folder pane also gives a clear visual distinction to shared mailboxes compared to dedicated email accounts, making them easy to access and use throughout your day. More functionality is coming soon, including Archives in shared mailboxes and more (available in Targeted Release and coming to Standard Release in July). Copilot agility For those aiming to maximize productivity with Copilot, we are adding Copilot features into Outlook every month. With Outlook for Windows' agile codebase, you will find the latest Copilot enhancements first, including the Chat side pane, Summarize, Drafts, Schedule from email, and more. Commercial users will value the new “Prioritize my Inbox” that helps users stay on top of their highest priority mail (rolling out gradually). Prioritize capabilities in Outlook for Windows and web Newsletters Communications through Outlook continue to evolve to meet user needs. The new Outlook Newsletters experience lets you quickly and easily create and send structured, professional, and richly formatted internal email newsletters within Outlook. This capability helps you keep your team informed and engaged. Each newsletter acts as a home for subsequent editions, making it easy to browse past issues and view aggregated analytics across the series. Readers can discover and subscribe to newsletters shared within your organization to stay informed on key topics and projects. While in Public Preview, admins can enable it for some or all users in an organization, and General Availability will follow in a few months. Newsletters are coming to Outlook for Windows and web first, and we plan to bring them to other Outlook clients. Copilot support for Newsletters is on the way, unlocking new ways to create clear and compelling communications with ease. Newsletters in Outlook for Windows and web Consistency: Streamlined across Windows and web The updated Outlook for Windows is all about delivering modern and comprehensive communications and time management experiences. We continue to balance delivering more of your favorite capabilities available in classic Outlook and innovation to meet your needs based on your feedback and requests. In-app feedback and upvoting are key to helping us prioritize what to work on next. For instance, Offline and PST support are top requests, and we have a stream of capabilities rolling out for these critical features, shown below. Offline capabilities Outlook for Windows already supports core offline capabilities to read and compose emails and boot while offline. Here’s a look at the latest Offline capabilities including Search (available now), attachments, event creation, updates, deletion, and RSVP (rolling out). Search email: Open an attachment: Create and delete an event: PST capabilities For users who store their content in PST mailboxes, we have many recent improvements to share. Now Outlook for Windows supports reply and forwarding emails in the PST, adding PST folders to Favorites, and dragging and dropping emails from the PST to the mailbox (or vice versa). The ability to export an entire mailbox or set of folders to a PST is now in Targeted Release. Importing from a PST, auto-export (aka auto-archive), people details in Profile cards, and support for read-only Calendar is coming later this year. Integrations across Windows and Microsoft 365 Outlook is deeply integrated with the Windows operating system to bring functionality that users expect of a rich, native app. This includes opening attachments in the native default app users choose, dragging and dropping attachments to the desktop, windowing, notifications, and more. Outlook for Windows is also seamlessly integrated with Microsoft Teams, without the need to install a separate add-in. More seamless switching across devices Outlook users are constantly on the move, switching between different devices and contexts throughout their day. When you add a new device, you do not need to reconfigure your settings. This focus on consistency is something our commercial customers have been asking for, and we're excited about delivering it. Plus, thanks to the common codebase, web users also enjoy most of the innovations and classic capabilities arriving in Outlook for Windows. Manageability: Faster resolutions with less effort For IT admins, Outlook for Windows deploys updates similarly to Outlook for web and Microsoft Teams, offering service-backed delivery that ensures predictable changes with Targeted Release and roadmap notifications. This means less time spent on build management. Plus, with changes delivered as a service, you should see a reduction in deployment costs. Both Outlook for Windows and web use Mailbox policies to manage the client experience. These policies help standardize settings, like attachment settings, for specific groups of users. This means users have a more consistent experience across platforms, as the policies are applied to a user's mailbox. IT admins can learn more about which policies from classic Outlook map to Outlook for Windows policies here and review the new security whitepaper here. Admins have a growing set of documentation in learn.microsoft.com and adoption.microsoft.com. We're making sure the transition to Outlook for Windows is as smooth as possible with migration aids such as the admin-controlled migration policy and you can now track new and classic Outlook usage in either the M365 or Exchange Admin Centers. M365 Admin Center with Outlook for Windows and classic Outlook usage reporting Transition to new Outlook for Windows The transition to Outlook for Windows is intended to be gradual, allowing you ample time to explore and become comfortable with its new capabilities. We recommend using the toggle in classic Outlook to try the updated Outlook for Windows experience. This will copy your settings, forward your protocols, and provide a welcoming experience. If you encounter a situation where the new Outlook experience lacks a critical function for your workflow, you can easily toggle back to classic Outlook. Don’t forget to provide feedback to let us know what’s missing. A great way to facilitate the transition is to run Outlook for Windows side-by-side with classic Outlook. However, we encourage you to spend as much time as possible working in the updated Outlook experience. This will help you fully experience its enhanced capabilities and discover new, efficient ways of communicating. Thousands of organizations have started migration with pilots and are working towards full-scale migration. Many organizations have already migrated, including some very large-scale organizations already surpassing 50% migration to Outlook for Windows. For more details on the timeline: New Outlook: Guide to product availability | Microsoft Learn What’s next? We continue to bring more classic capabilities and innovation every month. We encourage you to try the updated Outlook for Windows experience. If a needed capability is missing, let us know. To submit your feedback, go to the Help tab and select Feedback. You can track the progress we are making through four different resources: Resource Description Location Microsoft 365 Roadmap Features that we are rolling out http://aka.ms/newOutlookRoadmap Feature Comparison article Comparison of features across new and classic Outlook https://aka.ms/newOutlookFeatureComparison What’s new A user-focused monthly blog of top capabilities that have been added, also displayed in-app https://aka.ms/newOutlookWhatsNew Release notes Weekly changes including bug fixes, classic capabilities and innovation https://aka.ms/newOutlookReleaseNotes
Attachment issue in New Outlook
Hi, Some, but not all, PDF attachments cannot be opened from New Outlook. It seems to be related to the size of the PDF attachment - some of the large files cannot be opened anymore. The error message on opening is that the file is corrupted. From OWA Outlook, the attachment opens in Adobe Reader or in the browser, regardless of which one is used, so the file on the Exchange is not damaged. This issue started happening a few days ago, during August 2025. I contacted Adobe support and they are addressing the issue to the Microsoft. How do I fix the issue without reverting to classic Outlook or opening attachments from OWS Outlook? Also, downloading the attachment to my computer is not an option as it does not solve anything - the attachment file is still corrupt and this makes the workflow unnecessarily complicated. Mirko
