How to Turn Off New Outlook
- Microsoft has been pushing New Outlook as a replacement for Classic Outlook (or local Outlook).
- New Outlook is replacing Windows Mail and Calendar and this is set to be complete by the end of 2024.
- New Outlook is very different than Classic Outlook. We have a video going over some of the differences.
- New Outlook is a web app. This is different from a regular desktop app in a couple of key ways..
- For now you can easily switch between New Outlook and Classic Outlook (Old Outlook).
What is a Web App
A web app uses a wrapper such as Electron. A wrapper is a toolkit that allows you to turn a website into something that looks like a desktop application. New Outlook has the same feature set as Outlook.com which is also called OWA or Outlook On the Web. Because of this many features are not available in New Outlook, an extensive but not comprehensive list is below in the following section:
Differences between New Outlook and Classic Outlook
There are many differences and limitations in New Outlook vs Classic Outlook. This is a selection of them:
- New Outlook does not work offline, the app won't even launch if you do not have internet
- In New Outlook, you cannot manually scan and send emails. This is useful if you want to draft emails when you are offline (which you also cannot do) and then send them later in a batch, or if your internet connection is spotty.
- In New Outlook the signatures are simplified compared to Classic Outlook.
- There is no Daily Task View in New Outlook.
- New Outlook does not support PST files. This means you cannot bring your data from Classic Outlook into New Outlook unless that data is on an Exchange account.
- In New Outlook you cannot import or export your data. You cannot make backups of your data either.
- New Outlook generally lacks many settings that Classic Outlook has.
- There are many user reports of New Outlook being unstable compared to Classic Outlook.
- POP email addresses are not supported in New Outlook.
- COM Add-ins are not available in New Outlook.
- New Outlook does not have spellcheck for emails.
- In Classic Outlook, you can use the scroll wheel on the month view to scroll a week forward/behind, this does not work in New Outlook
Turning off New Outlook
Turning off New Outlook is as simple as turning it on. Look for the a blue New Outlook slider in the upper right corner (look at the image).
- Click The "New Outlook" Slider
- Wait a moment for the Feedback form to appear
- Click "Skip Feedback"
- You will be returned to Classic Outlook
If this technique does not work for you, you can reference the Microsoft Guide here or look at the below sections and see if one of them applies to your situation.
New Outlook for Mac
There is a Mac version of New Outlook. This version has been around for a number of years prior to the Windows version of New Outlook. They are entirely different, the Mac version is desktop app whereas the Windows version is a web app in a wrapper (essentially a website disguised as a desktop app). We have a great guide on this topic.
How to turn off New Outlook for Mac
Steps for Outlook for MacOS 16.70 and Higher:
- Open Outlook for Mac.
- Select Outlook in the Tool bar.
- Select "New Outlook" to disable it and choose "Revert" when promted.
- Note: The New Outlook option does not appear unless you have a Registered version of Outlook. To Confirm this in Outlook for Mac, select File, then About Outlook. If the "License" section says "Not Registered" the New Outlook option will not appear.
If you need steps for older versions of MacOS, please check the guide.
Outlook for Windows (Microsoft Windows Store version) or Preinstalled New Outlook
There are two "versions" of New Outlook. There is the version that comes preinstalled on some machines and can also be downloaded from the Microsoft Store. This version is slightly different then the preview version of New Outlook, as it is a standalone program and can be installed/ran at the same time as Classic Outlook. To remove this version of Outlook, you simply need to uninstall it. Uninstall Steps:
- Open the Start Menu on your PC
- Click or search for "Settings" (Gear Icon)
- Click Apps
- Locate "Outlook (New)" in the list
- Click the "..." on the right hand side
- Click Uninstall and follow the prompts
To use Classic Outlook, you will need a license. This can be part of your Microsoft 365 subscription or a standalone license. From there, just install Classic Outlook normally.
Outlook "Apps View"
There is a similar looking option that is turned on by default on newer installs of Outlook. This is what is known as the "apps view" and is a more modern version of the Outlook menu bar. You can switch back to the old layout using these steps:
- Open Outlook
- Click "File" in the upper left
- Click "Options" towards the bottom
- Click "Advanced"
- Uncheck "Show Apps in Outlook"
- Close Outlook and re-open it for the changes to take effect
We also have a video on the topic here.