Microsoft Outlook

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The native email client from Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Outlook is the native email client for MS Windows PCs. This business and productivity tool comes with a range of functionalities to fulfill all your email requirements. Compared to Mozilla Thunderbird, Eudora, and Mailbird, the email client integrates well with other Microsoft Office 365 applications. As such, it offers unmatched efficiency and convenience for people using Microsoft products.

While MS Office Outlook’s popularity has declined over the years, it still gives tough competition to Yahoo Mail, Gmail, and other counterparts. With the latest version of MS Outlook, you can use a lot more functionalities, including a reliable search function, integration with MS Office 365, support for multiple accounts, etc. The only drawback is that the interface looks a bit cluttered.

A hassle-free way to manage your emails

In recent years, email clients have become less popular. Apart from relying on Gmail, most people tend to use instant messaging apps like Slack, Hangouts, etc. These offer more attractive, safer, and reliable functions. While it earlier seemed that Outlook would become redundant in the MS Office Suite, the company released a new version of the program in 2021. It came with much better email management features, allowing individuals and companies to once again start leveraging the power of MS Outlook.

What’s new in Microsoft Outlook?

As mentioned earlier, Microsoft Outlook gives you the liberty of receiving and managing high volumes of emails from numerous email clients. The program now comes with instant search functionality, which lets you quickly find emails in the inbox, sent, outbox, and other folders. The search bar looks similar to the one in Gmail and is located right above the Outlook ribbon. 

With the revamped search function, you can look for emails with any keyword or string of characters. Additionally, the application retains all the previous functions, including inbox management tools, conversation view, and more.

How’s the interface?

MS Outlook features a simple, clean, and straightforward design. However, with the abundance of features, the interface now seems a bit cluttered. Having said that, it doesn’t take long to get used to the layout. On default settings, the inbox is divided into ‘Focused’ and ‘Other’. The former can be used for important, starred, or frequent emails.

MS Office Outlook takes into account user behavior and lets you mark an email for the ‘Other’ inbox within a couple of clicks. Moreover, the ribbon interface lets you conveniently find a range of features and functionalities. 

Is MS Outlook easy to configure?

The powerful email client can manage multiple Exchange, IMAP, and POP3 email accounts. These can be connected to retrieve emails in a hassle-free manner. With Microsoft Outlook, it’s easy to configure a new account. The program features an intuitive wizard, which lets you know everything about configuration options.

The mailbox’s browsing area has been intelligently organized. It offers single-click access to all the RSS feeds and mail folders. On the other hand, the top ribbon toolbar comes with various options to efficiently manage your emails. Owing to the multiple organizing features, you can easily move emails around, flag messages, customize alerts, create filters, and set rules to redirect messages. 

In addition to this, MS Office Outlook comes with the ‘Quick Steps’ functionality, which lets you perform multiple actions on a single item. This way, MS Outlook automatically filters received messages and sends them to designated folders. Last but not least, search folders and queries can be used to add custom filters to the list.

How does the built-in calendar work?

Microsoft Outlook’s latest version comes with a built-in calendar. Thus, it becomes easier to manage and organize your daily schedule. With the calendar function, you can effortlessly schedule meetings, set up recurring meetings, add new events, create task reminders, and manage appointments. Every new item you create can be color-coded for quick identification.

While using the email client and calendar together, you can send task requests to multiple team members, create prioritization flags, and attach reminders. The calendar can be published online, shared with team members, categorized in multiple groups, and emailed to other Outlook users.

What are some other features?

As mentioned earlier, Microsoft Outlook retains several features available in previous versions. For instance, you can use multiple accounts, access tools like ‘Task’, ‘Contacts’, and ‘Calendar’, and create or join groups. 

With this email client, you can access a shared mailbox, send emails from multiple shared addresses, and set up shared events. While the application seamlessly integrates with MS Office 365 programs like Word and Excel, it also supports various third-party platforms, such as Dropbox and Trello.

The latest version of the program tries hard to extend its reach with a built-in language translator. With this feature, you can translate emails and messages into over 70 languages. You also get access to a viewable transcript.

With MS Outlook, you can draw or doodle on a standalone canvas with your finger, mouse, or pen. The program also offers some useful annotation features. Most importantly, the full version of the program gives access to the ‘Office Premium Creative’ collection with rich media content.

A simple yet solid application for sending and managing emails

MS Outlook is a great choice among reliable email clients. While the rising popularity of Gmail has given the app a tough time, it continues to be a leading program to manage large volumes of emails. 

Moreover, MS Office Outlook receives regular updates and bug fixes, allowing you to leverage new features and functionalities without any hassles. Most importantly, if you already work with other Microsoft products, Outlook proves to be a convenient option with trouble-free and faster integration. 

Outlook Streamlines Communication with Microsoft 365 Copilot

Paragraph: Microsoft 365 Copilot enhances the Outlook experience by helping users manage their inbox more effectively. Copilot synthesizes and organizes emails, allowing users to spend more time on communication rather than sifting through their inbox. The AI-driven features of Copilot improve productivity by focusing on the most important tasks at hand.