
Microsoft Mastery: A Look at Outlook
Chances are, you’re not using all the features Microsoft 365 has to offer – and you’re not alone. Despite being part of our daily routines, these apps are packed with options and hidden features that can be easy to overlook.
That’s where we come in.
This month, we’re breaking down some of the most popular 365 apps and spotlighting the features you might be missing. From creating an automated inbox to mastering OneDrive, these tools are designed to genuinely improve your workday – and you can start using them right away!
In this first installment, we’re focusing on one of Microsoft 365’s most important apps: Outlook.
Why Outlook?
Most people are already familiar with this app – it’s a cornerstone for many workplaces with over 400 million users worldwide relying on it as their go-to business email. But Outlook is more than just a place to send and receive emails; it’s a productivity powerhouse. From automatic email sorting to seamless app integration, its features are crafted to not only make your workday easier, but more efficient.
This post focuses on the latest version of Microsoft Outlook: New Outlook, specifically the desktop application.
Let’s get right into it.
Sharing Your Calendar
Whether you’re syncing schedules with coworkers or providing your manager visibility into your schedule, shared calendars help keep everyone on the same page. This simple feature can make coordination – something we all know can be a major pain – that much easier.
How to share a calendar:
- Open your calendar from the side panel.
- Click Share calendar at the top of the screen and select the calendar you’d like to share.
- Enter the recipient’s email address and choose the access level you want to grant:
- Can view all details: They can see event details.
- Can edit: They can edit your calendar directly.
- Select Share to send the invite.
How to stop sharing your calendar:
- Open your calendar from the side panel.
- Right-click the shared calendar and select Sharing and Permissions.
- Remove permissions by clicking the trash bin icon next to the individual’s name.
Find the Best Meeting Time with Scheduling Assistant
Scheduling assistant is a simple tool for coordinating meetings. It lets you view attendees’ availability, so you can pick a time that works for everyone.
How to use Scheduling Assistant:
- Create a new meeting by selecting New Event in the Calendar view.
- Click Scheduling Assistant at the top of the event window.
- Add attendees to view attendee availability.
- Adjust the time and find a slot that works for everyone.
- Once finalized, send your meeting invite.
Pro tip: The more your team updates their calendars the better this tool will perform.
Categories, Flags, and Reminders
Inboxes get messy – fast. On average, people have around 276 unread messages sitting in their inboxes! With so much information flooding in, it’s no surprise that important messages sometimes slip through the cracks.
That’s where categories, flags, and reminders come in. These features help you stay organized so important emails don’t get overlooked.
Organize emails with categories:
You can assign color-coded categories to emails, tasks, and events for quick identification. For example, you can use red markers for urgent tasks, green for meetings, and yellow for follow-ups. You will be provided default color-coded options that you can customize to better suit your specific needs.
- Right-click an email, task, or event.
- Select Categorize and choose a color.
- Click Manage Categories to customize or rename your categories.
Prioritize with flags:
Ever lose an important email or forget about it entirely? Flags are here to help. They let you mark emails that require action and set follow-up dates so you can keep track of your most important emails.
- Select an email and click the flag icon.
- Right-click the flag to set a follow-up date.
Setting up reminders
While similar to flags, reminders help you remember upcoming events on your Outlook calendar. Pair reminders with Outlook’s To Do feature to keep your scheduling top-notch.
- Open To Do on the side panel.
- Create a new task or select an existing one.
- Click Remind me on the right side and pick a time.
Creating Rules for Organization
If you’ve ever wished your inbox could sort itself, you’re in luck. With Rules, you can automate email organization to save time and reduce clutter – and setting it up is easy!
How to create a rule:
Let’s create a rule together that will organize all emails from your manager into a specific folder. Before we start, you will want to create a folder where you would like their emails to be sent.
- Select the “…” at the top right of the Home tab.
- Select Rules > Manage Rules (this can also be found under settings) and click Add new Rule.
- Name your rule.
- Under Add a condition select From and enter your manager’s email.
- Under Add an action select Move to and then select the folder you would like to use.
- If you would like the rule to take immediate effect, check the Run rule now box.
- Save the rule.
As you probably noticed, there are plenty of conditions and actions you can take. We recommend exploring the available options to create customized rules that best suit your needs.
Tip: If a rule doesn’t work as expected, revisit the Managed Rules section and tweak or delete it.
Templates for Quick Email Creation
If you’re tired of writing the same email over and over again, Outlook offers easy to use templates for quick responses.
Setting up your template:
- Open up a new email.
- Under Insert select Apps (The window icon) and then My Templates.
- By default, you will have three available templates. Note that you may need to accept the template as an add-on for Outlook.
- Click +Template.
- Give your template a title and type out the content you would like to use and hit Save.
- Select the new template back under My Templates and the text should automatically appear on your email.
Clean Up Your Inbox with Sweep
Categories, rules, and templates are all great, but sometimes you just need a simple way to clear the junk out of your inbox. That’s where Sweep comes in.
- Select an email in your inbox.
- Under Home select Sweep (the broom icon).
- Choose an action, such as moving all the emails from a sender to a folder or deleting them.
Sweep acts like a simplified rule and is perfect for on-the-fly organization.
Adding Apps to Outlook
This major addition to Outlook lets you integrate various productivity-boosting apps directly into Outlook without having to download them elsewhere.
- Select Apps (square grid icon) on the right screen.
- Browse the available apps and click Add for the ones you want.
- The app should appear on the navigation bar. Right-click and select Pin to make it easy to access.
If you decide that you don’t like an application, no problem! Just right-click it on the right side of your Outlook and select uninstall.
Useful Keyboard Shortcuts
For those tired of clicking all around your Outlook, here are a few useful keyboard shortcuts:
- Create a new email: Ctrl+N
- Reply to a selected email: Ctrl+R
- Search for something: Ctrl+E
- Add a new task: Ctrl + Shift+K
- Create a new appointment: Ctrl+Shift+A
- Create a new folder: Ctrl+Shift+V
- Switch to the calendar view: Ctrl + 2
Simple Tricks, Lasting Impact
While you can get by with Outlook’s basic features, there’s no reason not to take advantage of these extra tools – they’re there for a reason after all. It might take a bit of time to adjust but learning a few tricks now can save you hours upon hours in the long run.
If you have any questions or want more Microsoft tips, don’t hesitate to reach out. And don’t miss next week when we reveal the secret features of Microsoft Word that you never knew you needed.
If you enjoyed this post, check out our other Microsoft hidden features post: 11 Hidden Gems of Windows 11.
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