New features coming to Microsoft Outlook on the web

A new version of Microsoft Outlook on the web will be rolled out to all Rutgers Connect users by the end of September.

This updated version, with new features and options, replaces the “classic” version. Currently, users can try this new experience by selecting the “Try the new Outlook” option located in the upper righthand side of Outlook on the web. Once the new version becomes the standard, there will no longer be an option to go back to the current version.

Customizable enhancements
Many of the upcoming changes and features will be customizable and allow users to enhance or simplify their experience when using Rutgers Connect, the official email and calendar service for faculty and staff, based on the Office 365 suite from Microsoft.

New features include “Dark Mode,” which changes the interface to a darker color palette.

Customizing the inbox
Users can also further customize what their inbox looks like by utilizing the Display density,  Conversation view, and Reading pane settings. To make adjustments, users can navigate to the gear icon on the upper righthand side of Outlook.

For example, selecting the Reading pane option of “Hide” displays emails on the entirety of the screen. Once you select an email, only that email is displayed, and the others are hidden.

Emojis and GIFs
Other features include “Expressions,” a new option to insert emojis and GIFs into emails. In order to access this feature, the user must be in HTML mode when composing an email. To switch to this mode from plain text, the user should select the three dots in the menu next to the “Send” button and choose “Switch to HTML.”

Favorites
Another new feature is the ability for users to set specific people, groups or categories as favorites. When they do this, they will see the favorites at the top of their inbox and it will display the number of new messages they have for that favorite. Favorites that are saved on Outlook for the web will also synch with the mobile version of Outlook as well.

Calendar Improvements
The calendar features of Outlook are also getting a few improvements. It is now possible to search multiple calendars at once, letting you look for specific people, keywords or locations across them. It is easier than ever to create events as well, and Outlook on the web will quickly show you options to find a room and even suggest times when the attendees are all available.

These are just a few of the many new features available in the new Outlook on the web. Some of the others include snoozing emails so you are reminded to look at them later, and synching your tasks with To-Do. For additional details, see Microsoft’s blog post about the new Outlook on the web.