How to do anything on your Mac, iPhone & iPad
Outlook is now free for all Mac users. Here’s how to get the most from it
REQUIRES Outlook for Mac, macOS 11 or later
YOU WILL LEARN How to use Outlook for Mac to manage your email
IT WILL TAKE 20 minutes
MICROSOFT’S OUTLOOK HAS had something of a checkered history on the Mac. At various times it’s been a useful option for business users who rely on Microsoft’s Office suite, a reasonable alternative to Apple’s Mail, and an application that felt like the very poor relation of its Windows version and was best avoided. Since its overhaul a few years ago, however, it’s been a serious contender for the best email application for both business and personal use. And that position was bolstered earlier this year when Microsoft announced Outlook for Mac could be downloaded and used completely free of charge and would no longer need an Office 365 subscription.
There’s a great deal to like about Outlook, not least that it looks and feels like a Mac app and adopts many macOS features like Handoff, Widgets, and integration with Notification Center. Then there’s the option to create profiles for, say, business and personal email accounts, the automatic filtering of incoming messages into Focused and Other inboxes, and the ability to save searches as smart folders. Let’s get started.
HOW TO Set up and use Outlook for Mac
Once you’ve downloaded and installed Outlook, click on the Outlook menu; choose Settings, then Accounts. Click the “+” (at the bottom) and choose New Account. Type the email address and click Continue.
Once you’ve typed in the email address, Outlook will determine the type of account and ask for details it needs. You’ll need to generate an app-specific password on https://appleid.apple.com for iCloud email accounts.
If you
