New Outlook: Juni update with massive improvements
Offline mode, PST files, copilot control: these three areas drastically improves Microsoft with the new Outlook update. After months of criticism, the group reacts to the most important user complaints and significantly expands the functions.
Offline functions significantly expanded
The offline functionality has been significantly improved: the standard synchronization period for emails in offline mode has been expanded from seven to 30 days. Users can now also access search folders in offline mode and get back accidentally sent emails. These improvements are particularly important for frequent travelers and users with unstable internet connection. The extended offline functionality has been one of the most condemned functions since the introduction of the new Outlook version.
Originally, the new Outlook was designed as a pure web application, which caused criticism for many users because they were used to being able to edit their emails without an internet connection. With the expansion to 30 days, Microsoft approaches the expectations of the users who are used to a comprehensive offline availability from the classic Outlook version.
PST support is expanded
Another progress concerns PST file support. With the update, users can answer and forward emails in PST files. Microsoft has announced that it will further expand PST support in future updates. For users with extensive email archives, this is an important step towards compatibility with the classic Outlook version. PST files (Personal Storage Table) have been the standard archive format for Outlook users for decades.
Many companies and private individuals have built extensive email archives in this format for years. The limited PST support in the new Outlook version was therefore a significant obstacle to the change. With the gradual improvement of PST functionality, Microsoft shows that the company takes the concerns of users seriously.
Copilot control and AI features
If you don’t want to use the AI functions of Microsoft’s Copilot in Outlook, you can completely deactivate them. All you have to do is open the settings, navigate to “Copilot> Copilot control” and switch off the “Activate” Copilot switch. This is likely to be happy to have concerns about data protection or want to keep the user interface slimmer. For the owner of a copilot-pro license or AI credits through a Microsoft 365 personnel or family subscription, there is an improvement: the copilot functions are now available for all connected e-mail accounts-not only for the account with copilot access.
This applies to Microsoft accounts such as Outlook.com, Hotmail.com, Live.com and MSN.com, but also to third-party providers such as Gmail, Yahoo and iCloud. A new email coaching function with Copilot also helps to formulate important messages. The AI provides suggestions for tone, clarity and presumed effect on the recipient before the email is sent. This function is based on Microsoft’s or Openais (Chatgpt) voice models and is said to help especially with business communication.
Organizational improvements
Private users can now seamlessly move emails between different accounts. This function is deactivated by default for company users and can be configured by administrators in accordance with the company guidelines. This distinction takes into account the various security requirements of private and business users. Another innovation concerns the favorite list: shared folders can now be added to the favorites, which facilitates access to important shared content.
In addition, external contacts in auto completion are now characterized with an “external” day, which can improve the overview, particularly in corporate environments, and prevent accidental data leaks. Despite the extensive improvements, it remains to be seen whether Microsoft can convince the numerous critics of the web-based Outlook version with this update.
