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Teresa_Cyrus
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Best New Outlook Features Released in 2025 — A Practical Wrap-Up
Over the course of 2025, Microsoft delivered a significant number of updates to New Outlook for Windows. For many users who tried New Outlook early and stepped back, the experience today is materially different. I’ve published a recap video that walks through the most impactful New Outlook features released in 2025, focusing on what actually changed, what gaps were closed, and how the product is evolving as Microsoft continues the transition away from Classic Outlook. This video is not a deep dive or step-by-step tutorial. It’s a practical end-of-year review covering: Why Microsoft moved to New Outlook and the current opt-out timelines Account management improvements (account display names, shared mailboxes, drag-and-drop workflows) PST export becoming usable directly in New Outlook Mail experience enhancements (favorites, folder colors, categories, bulk actions, templates, mail merge, newsletter) Calendar layout changes redesigned to accommodate Copilot People / Contacts usability fixes and cleanup Copilot in Outlook: standard vs premium capabilities and real workflow differences This isn’t positioned as “New Outlook is finished” or “Classic is gone tomorrow.” It’s an honest look at where New Outlook landed by the end of 2025 and what it now supports compared to earlier releases. For those managing transitions or advising users: Which Classic Outlook features are still blockers for you? Have the 2025 updates changed your adoption stance? Are there specific workflows you still cannot move yet? Interested in hearing real-world perspectives from admins, trainers, and power users as we move closer to broader default adoption. #traccreations4e-p25 12/11/2025Re: Custom Search Folders in New Outlook
UPDATE AS OF DECEMBER 2025: Based on MS Roadmap this functionality has paused. Roadmap ID 500392 Users can create Custom Search Folders in Outlook to automatically surface emails that match specific criteria such as sender, subject keywords, categories, date ranges, among others. Search folders update in real time and give you a focused view of the messages that matter most, without moving them from their original location. We will be pausing development of this feature for the time being. We apologize for any inconveniences. #newoutlookforwindows If you find this information helpful, please mark it as the best response to assist others with the same question. #traccreations4e-r25 12/10/2025Mail Merge in New Outlook
I finally used Mail Merge in New Outlook. I haven’t been able to find any official documentation since the feature was released in December 2024. For anyone who’s been curious or struggling with how it works, I’ve captured my learnings in a detailed blog post and walkthrough video. 📘 Blog Post: Mail Merge in New Outlook: What You Need to Know - TRACCreations4E 📺 Video: https://youtu.be/x-o72L0tSHs Also, the advanced functionality is on the Roadmap for August and September. Microsoft 365 Roadmap | Microsoft 365 If you find this information helpful, please mark it as the best response so others can benefit too. TRACCreations4e 3/24/2025Re: Mail Merge from an Email - New Outlook
Hello All, There have been some slight changes to Mail Merge in New Outlook; for example, the To line is now Recipient. Also, I discovered some limitations to using contact or distribution lists with Mail Merge in New Outlook and provided helpful suggestions for not having a personalized salutation. The details are captured in my detailed blog post and video. 👉🏾Blog: Mail Merge in New Outlook: What You Need to Know - TRACCreations4E 👉🏾Video: https://youtu.be/x-o72L0tSHs Good News: Advanced Features is coming in August Preview / September GA. Microsoft 365 Roadmap | Microsoft 365 If you plan to read the full blog post or watch the video, please give me a thumbs up on this post. Thank you. 3/24/2025 #traccreations4eRe: I need to send an email to my clients
I want to add to LisaHendrickson’s response. Mail Merge in New Outlook is another option when you want each recipient to receive their own individual message. It generates a separate email—and a separate Sent item—for each recipient, which is helpful when you need detailed per-recipient tracking. You’ll see each person’s name on the sent copy for easy follow-up, but your Sent folder can grow quickly if you’re sending to large lists. Personalization is limited for now, but Microsoft plans to expand Mail Merge capabilities in early 2026. BCC still works well for group sends. Everyone receives the email, and your Sent folder stays clean because Outlook saves only one copy of the outgoing message. For both methods, I agree with Lisa's number of recipients to send. If you find this information helpful, please mark it as the best response to help others with the same question. #traccreations4e-r25 12/10/2025PST Export in New Outlook: Progress Update and Current Capabilities
Microsoft has started rolling out PST export support in New Outlook for Windows. While this feature is not yet fully complete, the core mailbox export workflow directly in New Outlook is now functional. Calendar and Contacts remain read-only in the resulting PST file, but the export process is stable enough for early adoption scenarios. This post and the video walk-through cover the current end-to-end experience, including: How to check the mailbox size before initiating the export Exporting the entire mailbox or selecting specific folders Practical guidance for organizing, naming, and managing PST files Full step-by-step guide and video demonstration: https://traccreations4e.com/export-mailbox-to-pst-new-outlook/ If you’ve tested PST export in New Outlook, what has your experience been so far? Any issues, limitations, or reliability considerations others should be aware of? #traccreations4e-p25 12/8/2025New Outlook: Creating Rules for CC: and Sent Items (Workaround solution)
Many users have said they miss one of Outlook Classic's features: the ability to create rules for sent items. One popular use is automatically moving a Sent item to a designated folder, reducing the time it takes to handle email. Currently, rules in New Outlook manage received messages in the Inbox. This blog provides details. New Outlook Limitations: Outgoing Message Rules » TRACCreations4E I am happy to share that I have finally come up with a workaround to add a copy of the message you sent to a folder of your choice. Yes, the original message will remain in the Sent folder, but you don't have to move it manually. This method should hold you over until Microsoft rolls out the functionality for "Sent rules," which has not been added to the roadmap. Watch the full tutorial to discover how you can: Setup your email Use hashtags in your signature line Set up an automatic rule Blog Post: New Outlook Sent Email Rules: Here’s the Workaround Video: https://youtu.be/guOjz5lHJEY?si=un6jp2afgO-3PAhg Remember, this is a workaround solution. I am also waiting patiently for the Sent Rules functionality. If you find this information helpful, please mark it as the best response to assist others with the same question. /Teresa #traccreations4e 6/11/2024How to Update New Outlook's Custom Dictionary
I had a user to ask about how to update Outlook's Custom Dictionary. She had noticed that many of her Classic Outlook brand terms and acronyms were missing in New Outlook. You may not realize that New Outlook uses RoamingCustom.dic file and has its own custom dictionary. This file is stored in the cloud. Classic Outlook uses Custom.dic file and is saved on your local computer. Both dictionaries can be updated through Microsoft Word. In this blog post, which contains a video, I explained the differences between the two dictionaries, where they are stored, and how to build your dictionary in New Outlook. #traccreations4e-p25 11/24/2025Outlook Offline Phase I: Available Features
Updated November 18, 2025. The following are some of the key features introduced in Outlook Offline Phase I: Offline Email Access: Users can read, reply to, and compose new emails offline. These actions will be synchronized once the user reconnects to the Internet. Calendar Management: Users can create, edit, and delete calendar events while offline.. Contact Access: Access to contacts is available offline, allowing users to look up contact information. Synchronization: Any offline changes, such as sending emails, updating calendar events, or modifying contact information, will automatically synchronize once the internet connection is restored. Unsupported Features While Outlook Offline Phase I brings a host of new functionalities, it is important to note that not all features are supported in the offline mode - yet. I recommend downloading the updated list of supported and unsupported features to ensure you have the most up-to-date information on what is supported and what is not. Video: https://youtu.be/qzHfnlfhuEw Visit Website: Microsoft Outlook's Offline: Features Availability » TRACCreations4ENew Outlook Mail Templates – Demo + Step-by-Step Guide
New Outlook now includes a fully updated Mail Templates experience that supports images, tables, links, and modern formatting — unlike the older My Templates add-in. You can also import OFT files and even forward templates to colleagues using Forward as OFT. A few important notes for anyone upgrading from Classic Outlook: Templates created, revised, or saved in New Outlook are cloud-stored only These templates do not appear in the Classic Outlook Templates folder New Outlook templates cannot be used in Classic Outlook If you want a local copy for backup, the blog post below includes a simple download method If you're migrating from Classic OFT templates or evaluating the new workflow, these two resources walk through the entire process: 📌 Full video demo: https://youtu.be/uC0ZkCQyJuc 📌 Step-by-step blog guide: https://traccreations4e.com/new-outlook-email-templates/ Hope this helps anyone exploring New Outlook’s modern template workflow. Feel free to share it with your team. Many users have been waiting for this feature before entirely switching to New Outlook. #traccreations4e-p25 11/17/2025Significant changes to the New Outlook Calendar Event User Interface
In October 2025, the New Outlook Calendar Event was redesigned to incorporate Copilot, leading to a complete user interface makeover. Many icons were rearranged. This blog post includes a screenshot, icon placement, and descriptions. New Outlook Scheduling Gets a Makeover - Copilot Chat Joins #traccreations4e-p25 10/29/2025Re: New Outlook mailbox expanded/collapsed folders
Hi JMerck, I tried a couple of scenarios: Here are my learnings. Left Folder Pane: It remembered my settings and shut down. Message Pane: Based on your sorting criteria, the Headers for pinned or date are continuously expanded. If you find this information helpful, please mark it as the best response to assist others with the same question. #traccreations4e-r25 10/28/2025Re: outlook contacts continuously restore themselves
Your post made me laugh. (I laughed at your creative writing and not your situation.) If you are in New Outlook, can you look in the Deleted Contact folder and empty it? I tested both the MS 365 paid subscription and Outlook.com (free account) and did not have any issues. But I only deleted 1 to 2 contacts. I am going to reach out to a couple of MS people. This sounds like a bug. I would have taken the same approach as you. In the meantime, can you tell me which version of Outlook you are using? Are you an Outlook.com user (free version) or a Microsoft 365 paid subscriber? Stay tuned.Re: Support for auto-filing sent emails
PurpleMacha25, I am going to add another alternative "workaround" method. As mentioned above, MS does not have a rule to move sent items to a folder of choice. I created a workaround solution using a cc and a hashtag in the email body, along with a rule that automates moving a Sent message to a folder. Watch this video: https://youtu.be/guOjz5lHJEY?si=96zE70nl2KmQyHjt If you find this information helpful, please mark it as the best response to help others with the same question. #traccreations4e-r25 10/28/2025Re: Can incomng emails be blocked before they get to the inbox?
Currently, in New Outlook or Outlook.com, your options are to move to the Junk or Deleted folder. You cannot permanently delete messages via blocking or rules. In the corporate sector, emails can be quarantined and not delivered to the user's inbox. These messages are classified as containing a virus or as phishing, and are managed in Azure. #traccreations4e-r25 10/28/2025
