Microsoft wants people to love Windows 11’s Outlook app again – even if they have an iPhone
Microsoft has given Windows 11’s desktop email app, Outlook, a major overhaul with the addition of Apple iCloud functionality for people using iPhones or other Apple devices, plus other features. This upgrade is available to all Windows 11 users and here’s how to add your iCloud account to your Outlook app:
1. Click on the gear icon in your Outlook menu, which will enable your Email accounts institution. Here you can see and manage all accounts connected to your Outlook.
2. Select Add Account and log in to your Apple iCloud account. This should connect your iCloud account.
The Outlook app has historically supported Apple’s email service before the launch of Windows 11, but according to Windows LatestMicrosoft is in the process of deploying a new Outlook app in place of the old one. Apparently the reception has been lukewarm from users, but Microsoft adds many new features with each new version.
One of the biggest complaints users have about the redesigned Outlook app is that it launches in a web wrapper. The old app was a fully featured UWP app, with both online and offline support. However, the new app only recently received offline support. User complaints about the new app continue and Microsoft continues to develop the app to hopefully improve users’ experiences and improve their opinions of the new app.
The latest in a series of new developments
This development comes shortly after Microsoft also added compatibility with Gmail, Google Calendar and contacts to Outlook. iCloud support is also now available for all Windows 11 users, and Microsoft is reportedly working on expanding offline support to more parts of the Outlook app, including Events and Calendar.
One feature users should look out for as part of Microsoft’s new Outlook is the ability to respond to meetings. Windows Latest saw this as an upcoming update in the Microsoft 365 roadmap, which details what Microsoft has in store for various Microsoft 365 apps. This allows users to get information about the nature of a specific meeting and better decide whether to attend it. This development is expected to debut in March 2024.
Another feature added helps users understand their meetings and schedules. Microsoft explained on its Tech Community blog that users can better track declined meetings in the Outlook calendar. This will be useful for many users, especially those who have overlapping or densely packed meetings and want to better understand what they are and are not attending.
How to enable visibility for declined meetings
The above is now available in the latest version of Outlook, but is disabled by default. You can enable this via the following steps:
1. Open the Outlook app.
2. Go to: Institutions > Calendar > Events and invitations > Save rejected events
3. Check (click) it Show declined events in your calendar box.
This should enable the feature and show declined meetings on your calendar.
For a meeting to be classified as declined, you must have declined the meeting in all Outlook clients and Teams except the native Windows Outlook client.
It looks like it will take a bit more to win over Windows users, but these seem like some solid steps. As far as we know, these are available to all Windows 11 users with a valid copy of Outlook and if you don’t already have these features, you may need to update your Outlook app. It remains to be confirmed whether this extends to free users using Outlook online.