Set up the Outlook app on iPhone or Android for Microsoft 365

Updated 24 September 2026For Microsoft 365

To read your Microsoft 365 work email on your phone, install Microsoft Outlook from the App Store or Google Play, open it, type your work email address and sign in. The app brings your email, calendar and contacts together.

Before you start

Have these ready before you open the app:

Your work email address and password. If the account is new, do your first sign-in in a browser first.
The Microsoft Authenticator app, if your company uses it to approve sign-ins. See set up Microsoft Authenticator.
Enough time to finish in one go. If your company protects phones, Microsoft says a pause of a few minutes during setup can mean starting again.

Add your work account

The steps are almost the same on iPhone and Android.

Install Microsoft Outlook from the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android), then open it.
If Outlook has already found your work account from another Microsoft app, tap Add Account. Otherwise type your work email address and tap Add Account or Continue.
Type your password and tap Sign In.
Approve the sign-in in the Authenticator app if asked.
If a message says your organisation is protecting its data in this app, tap OK, let Outlook restart and set up a PIN.
If asked, allow notifications so you know when new email arrives.

Your inbox appears after a short wait. Tap the calendar icon at the bottom to see your meetings.

If your company protects phones

Some companies use Microsoft Intune to keep work data safe on phones. If yours does, Outlook may ask you to install the Intune Company Portal app. On Android, Microsoft says Company Portal is needed for the protection to work, even if you do not enrol the whole phone. Follow the prompts, then come back to Outlook. Your admin can tell you whether this applies to you.

Business Basic and tablets

Microsoft says Business Basic users can use the Outlook app on phones and tablets with screens of 10.1 inches or smaller. On larger tablets, use Outlook on the web.

Still stuck

WhatsApp our support team at +60 16-916 3324.

Common issues

Outlook says my organisation is now protecting its data in this app.

Your company protects work data on phones. Tap OK, let the app restart and set a PIN if asked. On Android you may also need to install the Intune Company Portal app, even though you do not have to enrol your whole phone.

New emails arrive late on my Android phone.

Battery saving can stop Outlook checking for email in the background. In your phone's Settings, find battery optimisation and set Outlook, Authenticator and Company Portal to not optimised. The menu names vary by phone brand.

Can I use the phone's built-in Mail app instead?

Usually yes, but Microsoft recommends the Outlook app, and some companies only allow Outlook on phones. Ask your admin before setting up another mail app.

Was this article helpful?