The new Outlook: Microsoft starts open beta – here’s what it looks like

Just a few days ago, interested users got their first look at the new, uniform Outlook. Now, Microsoft is also slowly starting to open this up to external testers; currently, only a very limited group is entering.

The new Outlook was developed under the codename Monarch and should ultimately bring together the different lines of development and user interfaces. In concrete terms, this means that the new Outlook for Windows is very reminiscent of the previous web version of the central administration tool of the Office suite.

not for everyone yet

According to Microsoft, members of the Office Insider Beta Channels the opportunity to take a look at the new version yourself. However, this only applies to those who use Outlook with a Microsoft 365 account. In general, the development team notes that many important features currently do not work or only work rudimentarily. So if you need Outlook on the respective computer for daily work, you’d better ignore the good trial offer.

Anyone who is already using another beta version, which is provided in the preview channel, for example, must first reset the slider to activate this test version; only then will the option to activate the beta version described here be displayed.
Try the new Outlook button leads to the beta version

Of course, the new Outlook is tested directly at WinFuture.de. Here you can get an impression of how it looks in practice in real conditions. Next, we will go into more detail about the new or improved features.

The most important thing: write e-mails…
…and manage

microsoft loop

The beta version already offers a glimpse of various innovations that users can look forward to. This includes Microsoft Loop, which users can use to exchange information with others without having to interrupt workflow in Outlook or across Teams. “Loop components can be copied and pasted into Outlook email and Teams chat and always stay in sync, so everyone can stay connected anytime, anywhere,” says Microsoft.
Loop components in action

To do list of the day

The new Outlook should also help improve work organization a bit. But it brings the function “My Day” (My Day). It’s basically a to-do list where you drag and drop emails from your regular inbox to work on throughout the day. This helps prioritize activities better than the usual time sorting in the inbox.
Create to-do list

@mentions for documents

Microsoft has also expanded the use of so-called @-mentions in the new Outlook. These are familiar to users in a variety of settings, for example if you want to address other users directly in conversations. Entering an @ will enable auto-completion, making it easier to find the name. In Outlook, this no longer only works with colleagues in the contact list, but also with files stored in the cloud. This way, the right documents can be integrated into an email more quickly and you don’t have to click through the folder structure to find attachments to find them.
Insert documents more easily

auto forward

Wizards with which Outlook automatically reminds its users of important things have also been improved. For example, if the built-in AI recognizes an email as important and has not yet been replied to, it is re-presented to the user and, if necessary, also pinned until processed or discarded.
Pin it and don’t forget anything

Sorting of important and less important emails is also improved on a manual level. The new Outlook has more rules for organizing your inbox. Also, Sweep provides an easy way to do this. The feature allows emails to be moved in batches and the rules can also be applied to future incoming messages.
Sweeps: faster through the grind

best calendar design

Apart from email communication, calendar has always been a crucial feature of Outlook. Although there is no major news here, Microsoft now offers the option to adapt the user interface even more to one’s preferences. This sometimes helps much more in everyday life than a further expansion of the range of functions.
New calendar design

When making appointments for meetings, Microsoft now also takes into account the development of the last few months: Since it has now become quite normal that colleagues do not all sit in the same office building, but often also work from home, You can now specify whether you want to meet in person or attend a meeting virtually at home.
I don’t come in person, but virtually.

what’s missing

Features that are actually part of the normal scope of delivery, but not yet usable in the beta version:

See also:

Logo, Office, Email, Mail, Outlook, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Mail