Skip to content
Office NiagaOffice Niaga Help
Share
WhatsAppTelegramFacebookXThreadsEmail
View pageas Markdown

Ask an AI about this page

ChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AI ModeMicrosoft CopilotGrokMistral Le Chat

New Outlook or classic Outlook for Windows - which to use

Updated For Microsoft 365

New Outlook or classic Outlook for Windows - which to use (0:22)

Outlook for Windows now comes in two versions: classic Outlook, the one most people know, and new Outlook, which looks and works like Outlook on the web. Both open the same Microsoft 365 mailbox, and you can switch between them with the toggle at the top right.

How to tell which one you have

Section titled “How to tell which one you have”

Look at the top right of the window:

  • Classic Outlook has a large ribbon of buttons and a Try the new Outlook toggle that is turned off.
  • New Outlook has a simpler ribbon, the word Outlook at the top left, and a New Outlook toggle that is turned on.

Classic Outlook with the File menu and the Try the new Outlook toggle highlighted

Both versions now have a File tab, so the toggle is the surest sign. Microsoft has started calling the new version simply “Outlook for Windows”, so you may see both names.

What is different in new Outlook

Section titled “What is different in new Outlook”

Most day-to-day work is the same. Microsoft’s own comparison lists these differences, which matter most for small offices:

  • Add-ins: new Outlook only runs web add-ins. Older COM add-ins, often used by accounting, CRM and PDF tools, do not work.
  • PST files: new Outlook can import email, calendar, contacts and tasks from a PST file, but support is still partial.
  • Offline: working without internet is partly available. Classic Outlook still works offline more completely.
  • Shared mailboxes: supported, with some features still missing, such as shared contacts.
  • Settings: signatures, automatic replies and other settings are set up again in new Outlook. See signatures and out of office.

Try the new Outlook

Section titled “Try the new Outlook”

Your email stays safe on the server whichever version you use, so trying it costs nothing.

  1. In classic Outlook, turn on the Try the new Outlook toggle at the top right.

  2. Select Switch in the message that appears. Classic Outlook closes.

    Try the new Outlook toggle turned on and the Switch button highlighted

  3. New Outlook opens at Welcome to the new Outlook. Type or select your work email address and select Continue.

    Welcome to the new Outlook with the email address box and Continue highlighted

  4. Sign in with your password and the code from your Authenticator app if asked. If Windows asks whether to sign in to all apps on this device, choose No, this app only on a shared computer.

  5. If you are asked about importing settings from classic Outlook, choose Import Settings to bring them over, or Skip.

Your mailbox opens with the same folders, including any shared mailboxes. The New Outlook toggle at the top right is now on.

New Outlook with the File tab and the New Outlook toggle highlighted

Go back to classic Outlook

Section titled “Go back to classic Outlook”

You can switch back at any time. Both apps stay installed, so you can switch again later.

  1. In new Outlook, turn off the New Outlook toggle at the top right.

  2. Choose Switch back to classic Outlook (or Use classic Outlook this time to try it once) and select Continue.

    Use classic Outlook question with Switch back to classic Outlook and Continue highlighted

  3. Microsoft may show a short Feedback to Microsoft form. Fill it in or close it.

If classic Outlook does not open by itself, open it from the Start menu (it may be listed as Outlook (classic)).

If your company has moved everyone to new Outlook, you may see prompts such as Switch now that move you after a few launches. Your admin can also hide the toggle, in which case ask them before switching back.

Which should you use?

Section titled “Which should you use?”

Use new Outlook if you mostly read and send email and want the same look as Outlook on the web. Stay on classic Outlook if you rely on a COM add-in, work offline a lot, or use PST archives heavily. Microsoft says classic Outlook stays supported until at least 2029.

Still stuck

Section titled “Still stuck”

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

Common issues

My Outlook suddenly looks different. What happened?

You have probably been moved to the new Outlook, either by turning on the toggle or because your company switched it on. Your email is the same; only the app changed. You can usually go back by turning the New Outlook toggle off at the top right.

New Outlook with the File tab and the New Outlook toggle highlightedSee it in the steps
Where are my PST files and add-ins in the new Outlook?

New Outlook can import email, calendar, contacts and tasks from PST files, but it does not support the older COM add-ins that some accounting or CRM tools use. If you depend on those, stay on classic Outlook for now.

Will classic Outlook stop working?

Not soon. Microsoft says classic Outlook will be supported until at least 2029, and it promises at least 12 months' notice before each change.

Was this article helpful?

Cookie settings

We use Google Analytics to see which guides help and where readers get stuck. It is on by default; you can turn it off. Your choice is saved on this device.