What's New in Outlook Web App

If you've been using Outlook Web App for awhile, you may notice some recent changes. Outlook Web App has been upgraded with new features and new ways to manage your mailbox.

Outlook Web App and Cloud-based Accounts

Outlook is the Microsoft brand for e-mail, calendaring, and personal information management on the computer, phone, and browser for personal and work use. Outlook Web App lets people access their information through almost any Web browser. When you use a cloud-based email subscription service such as Microsoft Office 365, Live@edu, or Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS), you use Outlook Web App to manage your email, calendar, and personal information.

For information about how to sign in to Outlook Web App using a Microsoft cloud-based service, see How to Sign In to Outlook Web App.

Familiar Features Updated

Some familiar features have changed. You can now manage public groups from the Options page. Some of the features you use to customize your mailbox have been updated, such as Inbox Rules. For more information, see Options.

Connect to Your Mailbox Using Your Mobile Phone

If you have a mobile phone that's running Windows Mobile 5.0 or a later version, you can use it to access your mailbox by using Exchange ActiveSync. For more information, see Set Up Exchange ActiveSync Access to Your Mailbox.

Set Up Text Messaging

Short Messaging Service (SMS), also known as text messaging, is a way to communicate between mobile phones. You can send and receive text messages through Outlook Web App. In addition to sending and receiving text messages, you can receive a notification in a text message when you receive a new message.

For more information about how to send text messages from your mailbox, see Text Messaging Tab and Send a Text Message.

Use Outlook Web App to Get E-Mail from Multiple Accounts

You can check your e-mail from multiple accounts, such as Hotmail, Gmail, or Yahoo! Mail Plus accounts, by connecting to those accounts from Outlook Web App. If you have an account with another provider that supports POP3 or IMAP access, you can connect to that account from Outlook Web App. When the accounts are connected, messages from the other account will be downloaded to your Outlook Web App mailbox and you can send e-mail using the e-mail address of that account from Outlook Web App. For more information, see Connected Accounts Tab.

Import Contacts

You can use Import Contacts to bring contacts from other accounts into the account you access from Outlook Web App.

Get Delivery Reports for Messages You Sent or Received

When you've sent a message to a large group of people or are expecting an important message from someone, you can use the Delivery Reports tab from your e-mail Options to track delivery information for messages that you have sent or received. To learn more, see Use the Delivery Reports Tab to Get Delivery Information About Messages.

Outlook Web App Changes

Outlook Web App has also been updated with new features to make it easier for you to find specific messages, access individual folders, and use your mailbox.

Select a Theme

If you don't like the default Outlook Web App theme, you can choose a different one. Click Options and select one of many new themes.

Share or Publish Your Calendar

You can either share you calendar with other people in your organization, or you can publish you calendar information by providing a URL that anyone can use to view your calendar. For more information, see Sharing a Calendar and Calendar Publishing.

Conversation

The default message view is Conversation, which lets you see an entire message thread in one place. For more information see Learn About Conversations.

Chat

Chat is now a part of Outlook Web App. You can chat with friends and colleagues using Outlook Web App just as you would with MSN Messenger or any instant messaging service. For more information, see Chat in Outlook Web App.

Filters

You've always been able to search your mail when using Outlook Web App. Now you also have the option to use a set of predefined filters to refine your search. For more information about filters, see Search for an Item.

Favorites

You might have noticed a new folder named Favorites at the top of your folder list. You can drag any folder up to Favorites to create a shortcut to that folder. Favorites can make it easier to access the folders you use the most. For more information, see Favorites.

Right-Click

Right-clicking almost anywhere in Outlook Web App will display a menu of things you can do. The actions available in the right-click menus have been expanded and made more consistent across your mailbox. Right-click a message, a folder, or a calendar entry to see the options that are available now.

Attach Messages to Messages

Sometimes you want to send an attachment with a message. In the past, you could attach a picture, a Word document, an Excel spreadsheet, or almost any file available to you to a message. But you couldn't attach a message from inside your mailbox to a message you were composing. Now you can. For information, see Working with Attachments.

Download Multiple Attachments

If you receive a message that has multiple attachments, you now have the ability to download all the attachments to your computer as a zip file by clicking Download all attachments at the top of the message. For more information, see Working with Attachments.

Add Pictures to Messages

Now you can embed pictures in your messages. To add a picture to the body of a message, click Insert Picture on the message toolbar and search for the picture you want to add to your message. Double-click the picture to add it to your message. For more information see Working with Attachments.