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New Outlook for Windows brings email, calendar, and contacts into one app and supports everyday tools such as search, categories, rules, multiple windows, tasks, and Teams meeting scheduling. It is not a feature-for-feature replacement for classic Outlook: Microsoft’s comparison, last updated September 23, 2026, lists VBA macros, COM add-ins, custom forms, and network-share file access as unsupported, while PST support, offline use, and some rules and shared-mailbox workflows are partial.
What New Outlook for Windows includes
New Outlook combines mail, calendar, and People/contact functions. You can connect multiple supported account types, organize messages, schedule events, and use productivity features such as Tasks and multiple app windows. Microsoft’s feature comparison is a dated snapshot, not an exhaustive inventory; check its current version if a particular capability is important to your workflow.
Mail and organization
The mail experience includes a message list and reading pane, search, folders, Favorites, categories, Focused Inbox, pinning, snoozing, and signatures. Rules and Quick Steps are available with limitations, and importing or exporting rules is not supported according to Microsoft’s comparison. If you rely on complex automation, check the specific rule behavior you need rather than assuming classic Outlook parity.
Calendar and productivity
The calendar supports calendar views, including a 3-day view, quick event creation, optional attendees, category colors, and Teams meeting scheduling. My Day and To Do are also listed as available. New Outlook supports multiple windows and includes a Tasks module. Microsoft says Teams meeting scheduling is built in, so a separate classic Teams add-in is not required for that workflow.
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Accounts and setup
Supported account types include Microsoft personal accounts, work or school accounts, Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo, IMAP, and POP. Support depends on account configuration. On-premises Exchange is only partially supported through IMAP, so workflows that depend on Exchange-specific capabilities may not carry over.
You can start from the Try the new Outlook switch in eligible Outlook installations or install the app from Microsoft Store. Microsoft’s setup guidance gives Windows 10 version 17763.0 or later as the minimum for Store installation. Setup can offer to import settings from classic Outlook and lets you add accounts. The switch is not shown in every installation; Microsoft notes that people using non-subscription Office editions or webmail may not see it.
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Some features require a work or school account and a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription. Check the account and license conditions for the specific feature you plan to use.
What changes if you switch from classic Outlook
Microsoft’s feature comparison, last updated September 23, 2026, distinguishes supported, partial, and unsupported features. The practical impact depends on which features your work requires.
| Area | New Outlook status | What to check before switching |
|---|---|---|
| Core mail and calendar | Mail and calendar modules are available. | Confirm that your everyday mail and scheduling routines work with your accounts. |
| Automation and extensions | VBA macros, COM add-ins, and custom forms are unsupported; web add-ins are available. | Identify any macros, COM integrations, or custom forms used by you or your organization. |
| Data files and offline use | PST support and offline support are partial. | Test the specific PST and offline tasks you need; do not assume complete parity. |
| Network and legacy workflows | Network-share file access is unsupported. | Check whether you open mail files from network shares. |
| Collaboration | Teams integration is built in; shared-mailbox delegate access is partial. | Distinguish ordinary Teams meeting scheduling from delegated shared-mailbox work. |
These labels describe Microsoft’s published comparison, not every configuration or organization policy. The page also says it does not list all features. See Microsoft’s feature comparison between new Outlook and classic Outlook for the full, changing matrix.
How offline use works
Offline use must be enabled. New Outlook saves selected email, calendar events, and people on the device; settings determine which items are saved and for how long. Microsoft says saved content synchronizes when the device reconnects. Offline actions include reading and searching email, composing drafts, queuing outgoing messages, managing folders, viewing saved calendar and people data, and common message actions. Because offline support is partial, do not expect every online feature to work without a connection.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Should you switch?
New Outlook is a reasonable fit if your work centers on supported accounts, standard email and calendar tasks, and built-in Teams meeting scheduling. Before changing your main workflow, inventory any dependence on macros, COM add-ins, custom forms, network-share files, PSTs, complex rules, offline work, or shared-mailbox delegation. Test account-specific and organization-specific routines first; the feature comparison does not establish that every Exchange deployment or workflow is supported.
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New Outlook is distinct from classic Outlook and from the former Windows Mail, Calendar, and People apps. Microsoft ended support for Windows Mail, Calendar, and People on December 31, 2024; those apps can no longer send or receive email or events. Microsoft says local mail, calendar events, and contacts remain exportable under its migration guidance. That end of support does not mean classic Outlook is the same app or that its feature set is identical to New Outlook.
Microsoft describes New Outlook as free. Feature availability changes over time: the comparison was last updated September 23, 2026, and Microsoft’s release notes document changes such as shared-mailbox archive and Search Folder updates in March 2026. For current availability, consult the feature comparison and Microsoft’s New Outlook release notes.
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