Explore advanced mail concepts
Advanced mail features in the new Outlook for Windows help you stay productive and connected—wherever you work. Learn how to manage shared mailboxes to support team collaboration and centralized communication. Then, discover how offline access lets you read and write emails, update your calendar, and queue messages to send later—even without an internet connection. These tools give you greater flexibility and control over how and when you work.
Work with shared mailboxes
Working with shared mailboxes just got easier. In the new Outlook for Windows, you can view, organize, and manage shared mailboxes alongside your own. This video shows you how to identify shared mailboxes, customize their display, adjust permissions, and even convert them to full accounts when needed.
Shared mailboxes let teams collaborate by providing a centralized place to send, receive, and manage email. In the new Outlook for Windows, shared mailboxes appear alongside your personal account in the folder pane and are marked with a shared icon.
Use Outlook offline
With new Outlook for Windows, you can manage your email and calendar even when you're not connected to the internet. Whether you're traveling, working in a low-connectivity area, or simply want to stay productive during network interruptions, Outlook for Windows lets you keep working offline. You can read and write emails, update your calendar, and queue messages to send once you're back online. This flexibility helps you stay on track—no matter where you are.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Read and write emails | Access previously downloaded messages and compose new ones. |
| Send later | Emails you send while offline are stored in the Outbox and sent automatically when you're back online. |
| Calendar access | View and edit calendar events that were previously synced. |
| Drafts and edits | Work on drafts or update existing messages, which sync once you're reconnected. |
Tip
Offline access is especially useful when traveling or working in areas with limited connectivity.
Open offline settings. In Outlook, go to Settings > General > Offline then turn toggle Enable offline email, calendar, and people to On.
Important
Organizations can enable/disable Windows offline features.
Now, adjust your offline settings how you like.
Important
Offline settings are applied at the account level, so first choose the account you want to set up. You can come back and add additional accounts.
Perform the following steps to adjust your account-level offline settings.
Choose Folders to Save. Under each account, select which folders to sync. You can choose Default folders (Inbox, Sent, Drafts, Archive, Deleted, Snoozed, Favorites), and recently used folders (up to 10, based on your activity).
Set Email Retention Duration Choose how many days of email to store offline. Options include:
- 30 days (default)
- 90 days
- 180 days (maximum currently available)
Include File Attachments (Optional). Enable Include file attachments to make attachments available offline.
Important
This feature is rolling out gradually and might not yet be available for all users.
Now you're set up to go offline. Turn off Wi-Fi or disconnect from the internet. Outlook switches to offline mode.
Working offline, you can:
- Browse and read what’s already on your device. You can navigate folders (including Favorites), switch between accounts, open messages in the Reading Pane, and read any content synced to the device.
- Triage mail and queue changes. Mark as read/unread, flag, move, and delete messages while offline—your actions are queued and sync automatically when you reconnect.
- Compose email—even send. Draft new messages (or replies/forwards) and hit Send. Messages queue in Outbox and are delivered once you’re back online.
- Search your offline mail. Use Offline Search to find content in the messages that are stored locally. Outlook shows an offline status so it’s clear results are from your device.
- Work with attachments that are available offline. Open attachments that were synced while online—and, where enabled, save them without a connection.
- Keep moving in Calendar. View your calendars and create, edit, or delete single events offline. Your changes queue and send when you reconnect.
- See your People data. Your synced contacts are available to view offline for quick lookups.
Reconnect and Sync. When you're ready to go back online and sync, go ahead and reconnect to the internet. Outlook automatically syncs changes and shows a notification confirming the sync.
Now that you have learned how to customize the new Outlook, it's time to test your knowledge with a short quiz.