The pundits would have you ever imagine that e-mail is being supplanted by texting, social media, chat apps like Slack, and direct communications software program resembling Skype and Google Hangouts Meet.
Don’t imagine them.
Electronic mail remains to be massive, the mainstay of office communications. And for numerous customers, e-mail means Microsoft Outlook.
Microsoft sells its Workplace suite of productiveness apps below two fashions: People and companies will pay for the software program license up entrance and personal it ceaselessly (what the corporate calls the “perpetual” model of the suite), or they’ll buy an Workplace 365 or Microsoft 365 subscription, which implies they’ve entry to the software program for less than so long as they preserve paying the subscription charge.
If you buy a perpetual model of the suite — say, Workplace 2016 or Workplace 2019 — its functions won’t ever get new options, whereas apps in an Workplace 365/Microsoft 365 subscription are frequently up to date with new options. (For extra particulars, see “What are the variations between Microsoft Workplace 2019 and Workplace 365?”)
This cheat sheet will get you in control on the options that had been launched in Outlook 2016 and Outlook 2019, the perpetual-license variations of Outlook included with Workplace 2016 and Workplace 2019, respectively. In Microsoft 365, Outlook has all these options, plus a number of extra. We’ll quickly be publishing a separate Outlook for Microsoft 365 cheat sheet that covers all its newest options.
Many of the suggestions on this article apply to each Outlook 2016 and Outlook 2019 for Home windows. Close to the tip are suggestions for Outlook 2019 solely, after which we wrap up with helpful keyboard shortcuts for each variations.
Be aware that the screenshots proven on this article had been taken in Outlook 2019. For those who’re utilizing Outlook 2016, some screens might look barely completely different.
Share this story: IT of us, we hope you will move this information on to your customers to assist them be taught to get probably the most from Outlook 2016 and 2019.
Use the Ribbon
The Ribbon interface in Outlook 2016 hasn’t modified a lot in comparison with earlier variations. As a result of the Ribbon has been included in Workplace suite functions since Workplace 2007, we assume you are acquainted with the way it works. For those who want a refresher, see our Outlook 2010 cheat sheet.
The Ribbon in Outlook 2016 has a flattened look that’s cleaner and less cluttered than in Outlook 2010 and 2013. The newer Ribbon is smaller than it was in Outlook 2013, the title bar now is blue rather than the previous white, and the text for the Ribbon tabs (File, Home, Send/Receive, and so on) is a mix of upper- and lowercase rather than all caps. But it still works in the same way, and you’ll find most of the commands in the same locations as in Outlook 2013.
IDGThe Ribbon hasn’t modified an important deal from Outlook 2013. (Click on picture to enlarge it.)
To seek out out which instructions reside on which tabs on the Ribbon, obtain our Outlook 2016 and 2019 Ribbon fast reference. Additionally see the nifty new Inform Me function described beneath.
As in earlier variations of Outlook, if you’d like the Ribbon instructions to go away, press Ctrl-F1. (The tabs above the Ribbon keep seen.) To make them reappear, press Ctrl-F1 once more.
You’ve bought different choices for displaying the Ribbon as nicely. To get to them, click on the Ribbon Show Choices icon on the high proper of the display, simply to the left of the icons for minimizing and maximizing Outlook. From the drop-down menu, you’ll be able to select Auto-hide Ribbon (conceal your entire Ribbon, each the tabs and instructions beneath them), Present Tabs (present the tabs however conceal the instructions beneath them, as once you press Ctrl-F1), or Present Tabs and Instructions (present the entire Ribbon).
And if for some motive the blue coloration on the title bar is an excessive amount of for you, you’ll be able to flip it white or grey. (In Outlook 2019, there’s additionally a black choice.) To do it, choose File > Choices > Basic. Within the “Personalize your copy of Microsoft Workplace” part, click on the down arrow subsequent to Workplace Theme and choose Darkish Grey or White (or Black) from the drop-down menu. To make the title bar blue once more, as an alternative select the Colourful choice from the drop-down record. Simply above the Workplace Theme menu is an Workplace Background drop-down menu — right here you’ll be able to select to show a sample resembling a circuit board or circles and stripes within the title bar.
IDGTo alter Outlook’s blue title bar: Within the “Personalize your copy of Microsoft Workplace” part, click on the down arrow subsequent to Workplace Theme and decide darkish grey, white, or (in Outlook 2019) black. (Click on picture to enlarge it.)
Strive Inform Me for better effectivity
Outlook is so stuffed with options it may be powerful to recollect the place to search out instructions you haven’t used shortly. Microsoft has made it simpler with a brand new function in Outlook 2016 and 2019 referred to as Inform Me, which places even buried instruments you not often use in straightforward attain.
To make use of it, click on the Inform me what you need to do textual content to the appropriate of the Ribbon tabs. (For those who favor keyboard shortcuts, press Alt-Q.) Then sort in a job you need to do, and you will get a menu exhibiting potential matches for the duty.
For instance, if you wish to filter your mail to see solely messages with attachments, sort in filter e-mail. On this occasion, the highest result’s a Filter Electronic mail itemizing with an arrow to its proper, indicating that it has many choices. Hover your mouse over it, and also you get a number of choices for filtering your mail, together with by Unread, Has Attachments, This Week, and others.
IDGThe Inform Me function in Outlook 2016 and 2019 makes it straightforward to carry out nearly any job. (Click on picture to enlarge it.)
Select the choice you need, and the duty shall be carried out immediately. If you would like extra details about your job, the final two objects that seem within the Inform Me menu let you choose from associated assist matters or seek for your phrase utilizing Sensible Lookup. (Extra on Sensible Lookup beneath.)
For the commonest fundamental duties, you received’t want Inform Me. However for extra advanced ones, it’s price utilizing, as a result of it’s way more environment friendly than looking by means of the Ribbon to discover a command. It additionally remembers the options you’ve got beforehand clicked on within the field, so once you click on in it, you first see a listing of earlier duties you’ve got looked for. That makes certain that the duties you regularly carry out are all the time inside straightforward attain, whereas on the identical time making duties you not often do simply accessible.
Use Sensible Lookup for on-line analysis
Typically emails are simply fast notes that don’t require a lot analysis, and you may toss them off with little or no thought. Different occasions, although, you’ll need to embody related data earlier than sending them off. These are the occasions you’ll recognize the brand new Sensible Lookup function. It helps you to do analysis from proper inside Outlook whilst you’re creating an e-mail, so that you received’t have to fireside up your browser, search the net, after which copy the data or footage to your message.
To make use of Sensible Lookup, right-click a phrase or group of phrases in an e-mail — it may be a brand new draft, a message you’ve obtained, or one you’ve already despatched — and choose Sensible Lookup from the menu that seems. Outlook then makes use of Bing to do an internet search on the phrase or phrases, displaying definitions, associated Wikipedia entries, footage and different outcomes from the net within the pane that seems on the appropriate. For those who simply desire a definition of the phrase, click on the Outline tab within the pane.
IDGSensible Lookup helps you to do net analysis from proper inside Outlook. (Click on picture to enlarge it.)
To make use of Sensible Lookup in Outlook or another Workplace app, you may first have to allow Microsoft’s clever companies function, which collects your search phrases and a few content material out of your displays and different paperwork. (For those who’re involved about privateness, you will want resolve whether or not the privateness hit is well worth the comfort of doing analysis from proper inside the app.) If you have not enabled it, you will see a display once you click on Sensible Lookup asking you to show it on. When you achieve this, it is going to be turned on throughout all of your Workplace functions.
Discover attachments extra simply — and share ‘cloud attachments’
We’ve all been there: We need to connect a file we had been lately engaged on, however don’t keep in mind its exact location — or typically even its title — and spend far an excessive amount of time navigating and trying to find it.
Outlook 2016 and 2019 clear up the issue neatly. If you click on the Connect File icon, a listing of the twelve most up-to-date recordsdata you’ve been utilizing pops up. The record consists of all of the recordsdata you’ve been utilizing on any machine, so long as you’re signed in to your Microsoft account. So in the event you had been engaged on a file in your desktop, then later within the day took your laptop computer to work outdoors your workplace, Outlook would present you the recordsdata you had opened on each gadgets. If a file is saved in OneDrive, OneDrive for Enterprise, or SharePoint, you’ll see a cloud on its icon.
If the file you need isn’t within the record, click on Browse this PC on the backside of the menu to browse your native arduous disk, or Browse Net Areas to browse OneDrive, OneDrive for Enterprise, or SharePoint.
IDGOutlook reveals you a listing of recordsdata you’ve lately used, making it simpler to search out and fix them to an outgoing e-mail. (Click on picture to enlarge it.)
Click on the file you need to connect. What occurs subsequent will depend on the place the file is saved. For those who select a file that’s saved in your native arduous drive, a duplicate of it is going to be hooked up to the e-mail within the typical approach.
In Workplace 2019, in the event you click on on a file that’s saved in OneDrive, OneDrive for Enterprise, or SharePoint, you’ll be given a selection: You may select Connect as copy to ship the file as a standard attachment or Share hyperlink to ship a hyperlink to the file in its cloud location, one thing Microsoft informally calls a “cloud attachment.” (In Workplace 2016, recordsdata saved within the cloud are mechanically despatched as cloud attachments.)
IDGSharing a hyperlink to a file saved in OneDrive, OneDrive for Enterprise, or SharePoint helps you to collaborate on the file with others. (Click on picture to enlarge it.)
Sharing a file as a hyperlink ensures that folks will see the latest model of the file and lets them collaborate on it. For instance, in the event you ship a hyperlink to a Phrase file to a number of folks, after they click on the hyperlink, they’ll open the file and be capable to collaborate on it with one another reside utilizing Phrase’s collaboration options.
For people, the default is that anybody can edit the file. For those who’re in a enterprise atmosphere, by default anybody inside your group can edit the file. However you’ll be able to change the collaboration permissions. After you’ve hooked up the hyperlink to the e-mail message, click on the down arrow subsequent to the attachment icon and choose Change Permissions from the drop-down menu. Particular person customers could have a selection between Anybody Can Edit or Anybody Can View. Enterprise customers have just a few different choices: Group Can Edit, Group Can View, Recipients Can Edit (which means solely these you’ve addressed the e-mail to can edit the file), and Recipients Can View. Make your choice after which ship the file on its approach.
IDGSelecting collaboration permissions for a shared file hyperlink. (Click on picture to enlarge it.)
Be aware: The next suggestions are for Workplace 2019 customers solely. For those who use Workplace 2016, you’ll be able to skip to the helpful keyboard shortcuts chart on the finish of the article.
Get a extra targeted inbox in Outlook 2019
For those who’re like the remainder of the world, you endure from e-mail overload. Your most essential messages are blended in with the dross of on a regular basis e-mail life — retailing come-ons, teams begging for donations, pointless newsletters and extra.
Centered Inbox helps clear up the issue. Utilizing synthetic intelligence, it determines which messages are most essential to you and places them right into a Centered tab, whereas placing all the pieces else into an Different tab. That approach you’ll be able to spend most of your time dealing with essential messages within the Centered tab, solely sometimes checking the Different tab.
Be aware that Centered Inbox is obtainable solely to Outlook 2019 customers who’ve an Trade or Outlook.com account. (It’s additionally out there to customers with Microsoft 365/Workplace 365 subscriptions.)
To activate Centered Inbox, choose the View tab from the Ribbon, then click on the Present Centered Inbox icon. Any more, you’ll have two tabs in your Inbox, Centered and Different. The Centered tab ought to have crucial messages, and the Different tab ought to have much less essential messages. If that’s not the case, you’ll be able to manually transfer messages from one folder to the opposite and inform Centered Inbox to mechanically filter them in that approach sooner or later.
IDGTurning on Centered Inbox in Workplace 2019. (Click on picture to enlarge it.)
To maneuver a message from one tab to a different, right-click the message you need to transfer, then choose Transfer to Different or Transfer to Centered, relying on the place you need the message moved. That may transfer the message simply this as soon as. If you wish to completely route all messages from that sender to the opposite tab, select both At all times Transfer to Different or At all times Transfer to Centered.
Centered Inbox isn’t for everyone. For those who discover that Centered Inbox hinders greater than it helps, you’ll be able to toggle it again off by deciding on View > Present Centered Inbox.
