Microsoft’s New Outlook for Windows App to Hit General Availability on August 1

Key Takeaways:

• Microsoft’s new Outlook for Windows will be generally available to commercial customers on August 1.
• IT administrators can control the availability of the new Outlook client within their organizations.
• The new Outlook for Windows app does not support COM add-ins and requires a transition to web add-ins.

The new Microsoft Outlook for Windows client that launched in public preview last year will become generally available for commercial customers on August 1. The company announced today on the Microsoft 365 Admin Center that this milestone won’t impact existing customers who continue to use the classic Outlook desktop application.

Compared to the UWP Mail and Calendar apps, the new Outlook for Windows offers several new features and improvements, such as enhanced Calendar tools, the Copilot AI assistant, and meeting chat integration. However, it lacks some capabilities available in classic Outlook, including Offline access and Web add-ins support for secondary accounts.

Microsoft notes that the new Outlook for Windows client will remain an opt-in experience for organizations. However, the upcoming general availability of the app will facilitate customers’ migration plans. “Please note that this update does not change any settings for your organization, will not automatically switch users from the classic version of Outlook for Windows, and will not introduce any disruptive changes,” Microsoft explained.

Microsoft acknowledges that some organizations have unique needs and constraints that may prevent them from switching to the new Outlook for Windows client. To address these concerns, the company is actively seeking user feedback and aims to understand these specific requirements. Customers are encouraged to provide feedback through the in-app Help tab, the dialog boxes in classic Outlook, or via Microsoft’s account team.

How to control the availability of the new Outlook for Windows app

Microsoft notes that IT admins can control the availability of the new Outlook for Windows client within their organization. They can configure policies to hide the “Try the new Outlook” toggle in the classic version until they are ready to migrate. Additionally, administrators can block new mailboxes from being added to the new Outlook or remove the app from select Windows builds.

Additionally, Microsoft uses service-based flighting to introduce features to the new Outlook for Windows client, instead of through build updates. The company will roll out new features to Targeted Release customers atleast 30 days before the general availability release. Microsoft advises IT admins to configure release options for end users within their organizations.

Migrate from COM to web add-ins

Lastly, the new Outlook for Windows client doesn’t support COM add-ins, so commercial customers will need to transition to web add-ins instead. Microsoft will provide a 12-month advance notice before starting forced migrations to the new Outlook experience in managed environments. IT administrators are strongly advised to review adoption and migration resources to plan for user migration.

Last month, Microsoft announced plans to rename its existing Outlook for Windows app to “Outlook Classic” starting from version 2407 or later. This rebranding aims to clearly distinguish the classic app from the new Outlook for Windows client. Microsoft has also committed to supporting classic Outlook for Windows until at least 2029.