Quick Links
- Windows Mail vs. Microsoft Outlook
- New Features in Outlook
- How to Get the New Outlook for Windows
Different operating systems offer different email client software, and you can also access most of these through your web browser. Let's look through some of the features in the January 2024 update of the Microsoft Outlook app.
Windows Mail vs. Microsoft Outlook
At the start of 2024, Windows announced that new Windows 11 devices will come with the new Outlook for Windows as the default, pre-installed email client, without requiring a fee for its use. If you're on a device running Windows 10 or higher, you'll have access to the January 2024 Outlook update. The benefit of signing in on a paid-for version of Microsoft 365 is that you won't see any ads when using Outlook.
Before 2024, you had the option of using Windows' free mailbox app—Windows Mail—and this will still be available to download via Microsoft Store until the end of 2024, along with the Windows Calendar app.
If all you want to do is send and receive the odd email, they both do the same job. However, when it comes to the technical battle, Outlook wins, as it offers many excellent underused features and advanced user functionality that Mail does not. Outlook also integrates its mailing functions with its calendar functions, meaning you don't have to download the separate Windows Mail and Calendar apps.
New Features in Outlook
The January 2024 update of Outlook offers more flexibility, including more personalized layout options, easier-to-access settings, and better control over when you receive and send your emails.
Minimalist Layout
In terms of the appearance of Outlook, it seems Microsoft's main aim is to adopt a minimalist approach. The first thing you might notice is that it appears quite slick, very similar to the web version of Microsoft Outlook. As part of this more minimal appearance, you'll see that the ribbon (the bar along the top with all your functions and features) is simplified, and has fewer words and icons than the traditional ribbon.
If you'd prefer the traditional, pre-2024 ribbon, click the down-arrow to the right of the ribbon and choose "Classic Ribbon," where you'll see more options.
Similarly, if you click "Density" on the ribbon, you have options from "Roomy," where everything is more spread out and larger, to "Compact," where things are tidier and squeezed together, with "Cozy" in between as the medium-density option.
Outlook Settings
Have you often spent too much time trying to find Outlook's settings? Well, in the 17126.20132 build, Microsoft has conveniently placed the Settings cog in the top-right corner of the window for much easier access.
Not only that, but the Settings are efficiently laid out and simple to browse. From here, you can manage your account, general, email, calendar, people, and premium settings.
In the January 2024 update, you can change your color schemes through the "Appearance" tab in the "General" settings. In the example below, we've chosen the Dark mode—however, you can also choose a modern or a quirkier classic theme.
My Day: To-Do and Calendar Integration
Prior to 2024, Outlook's link with Microsoft To-Do was a little cumbersome. However, one of the most impressive and useful modern-day features of Outlook is this integration. In Outlook, click the "My Day" icon in the top-right corner to open the Calendar and To-Do list, which you can click between using the tabs in the sidebar.
You can easily click "Add A Task" to remind yourself of another job you have to do. An even more useful feature is that you can click and drag an email from your inbox or another folder over to your My Day sidebar, and either drop it into your To-Do list or add it as an event in your Calendar.
If you add it to your To-Do list as a task, the item will also contain a link back to the original email for easier access when needed.
If you choose to drag an email into your My Day sidebar as a Calendar event, a new window will open to allow you to amend the Calendar entry details.
Pin an Email
Do you have an important email that you don't want to lose sight of? Microsoft Outlook lets you pin an email to the top of your inbox or a folder. To do this, hover over the email you want to pin, and click on the drawing pin icon.
Snooze an Email
We all get overwhelmed with lots of emails appearing in our inboxes at the same time. If you want to clear your inbox (and your mind!) of certain emails that can be dealt with at a later date, select the email in question, and click the "Snooze" icon in the "Home" tab on the ribbon. From there, choose a default time or date suggested by Microsoft, or click "Choose A Date" to opt for a more specific time.
After you have chosen the time and date, the email will disappear from your inbox and reappear at your chosen time as a new email. If you need to find that email in the meantime, you can access it through the "Snoozed" folder in your folder pane. Click "Unsnooze" (via the same clock icon in the Home tab) to move the email back to your inbox.
Schedule an Email
Picture this: you've drafted your perfect email, and you're ready to send it, but you've just realized it's 5:05pm on Friday evening, and you're mindful of clogging up your colleagues' inbox at the end of the week. In this case, you can schedule your email to be sent at a later date. To do this, having already opened the "Home" tab on the ribbon and clicked "New Email" to compose your message, click the drop-down arrow next to "Send" and select "Schedule Send." Outlook had this feature before, but it is now much more conveniently located.
The email will wait in your Drafts folder until it sends. If you open the email in your Drafts, you can click on the arrow to modify the email or send it immediately instead.
Outlook Categories
To keep your Outlook folders organized, you can categorize your emails. Go to the "Settings" cog and access "Categories" via the "Accounts" tab.
From here, you can rename existing categories or create new ones. Moreover, you can click the star next to a category to mark it as a favorite, and it will then appear in your Favorites section at the top of your folder pane.
Then, when in your inbox or another email folder, right-click on an email and choose "Categorize." You can then choose an appropriate category for that particular email. In this example above, any emails we categorize as blue will be readily available in our Favorites section. What's more, the category color will show next to the emails within their folders, so you can clearly see which category each email belongs to.
How to Get the New Outlook for Windows
You can access the January 2024 version of Microsoft Outlook through your existing version of Outlook or through the Windows Mail app. First, open Outlook or Mail in the usual way. You might have the icon pinned to the taskbar, or you can use the search on your Start menu.
If you're using Windows Mail, you'll see a banner at the top that allows you to try the new Outlook instead.
If you're in Outlook, head to the top-right corner, where you'll see a "Try The New Outlook" button in the off position.
Click the button to turn it on, and before everything changes, you'll get a pop-up window that confirms you're about to make the switch. If you're happy with the message, click "Switch."
At this point, Outlook will close. But fear not—it will soon re-open with the 17126.20132 build, and you'll see that the button you just clicked is now turned on. Handily, when Outlook re-opens, you might be offered some hints in the bottom-right corner of your window, which we'd recommend you quickly toggle through for some ideas.
Note that the January 2024 update is likely to open as a completely different program, so you may wish to pin the new icon to your taskbar for easier access later on, and remove the older icon.
If, for whatever reason, you prefer the older version, it's just as easy to switch back. Simply click the "New Outlook" button, tell Microsoft why you're changing back through their feedback form that pops up if you wish, and Outlook will then automatically close and re-open with your preferred version.
Now that you have the added features in the January 2024 Outlook update, compose your emails with confidence and follow our top tips for flawless email communications.
