MAC Outlook can't change display name imap in new version

From my perspective, it appears that the root of the problem is "Microsoft Cloud". If you don't sync your email accounts with Microsoft Cloud, and instead sync directly with IMAP, you will be able to edit the first and last name of the "sender" of your email accounts. Just like we were able to do in the 90s.

Agreed, this is the issue. Clever workaround! And yet another problem in New Outlook is that it won't add an IMAP account without Microsoft Cloud unless, you specify SSL for incoming server, and, not at all obviously, StartTLS for outgoing. That's not required in Legacy Outlook; you can just specify SSL for both and call it a day, as you discovered.

So, there are two super basic problems with New Outlook (inability to change name when using Microsoft Cloud, and inability to add an IMAP account in a straightforward fashion without it).

From my perspective, it appears that the root of the problem is "Microsoft Cloud". If you don't sync your email accounts with Microsoft Cloud, and instead sync directly with IMAP, you will be able to edit the first and last name of the "sender" of your email accounts. Just like we were able to do in the 90s.

Until Microsoft solves this problem (HELLO, MICROSOFT!), here is what did the trick for me, as a workaround:

• open desktop Outlook for Mac
• sign out of email accounts on that device only (so as not to disrupt accounts on your mobile version of Outlook (on the desktop version, go to Account settings > sign out (the "-" icon))
• after that, revert to legacy version of Outlook (Outlook > uncheck "New Outlook")
• when the old Outlook interface appears, sign out of email accounts again, if you have to, so that they no longer appear in the app
• quit Outlook & relaunch (it never hurts to reboot an app)
• add back the email accounts that you signed out previously (Account Settings > New Account)
• while doing this, don't worry about the content of the "Account Description" and "Full Name" fields (you'll deal with those later)
• once you have re-added all email accounts, go to Outlook > and check "New Outlook"
• a pop up appears regarding syncing to Microsoft Cloud
• in this pop up, click "Sync directly with IMAP" instead of clicking the "Continue" button
• with the "new" Outlook now open, re-input the "Account Description" and "Full Name" that you want for each email account (Account Settings)
• don't forget to add back/recreate the signatures that are no longer associated with your email accounts

Thank you very much IvanExpert. I followed your step-by-step guide and confirm this is working!

While it's inexcusable that MS has not fixed this, I'd still like to point out that you have have two alternatives without leaving Outlook for Mac:

• Use Legacy Outlook, rather than New Outlook. It's not a forever solution, but for now it still works, and probably will continue to work for some time, until they support on-premises Exchange accounts in New Outlook.
• Use the step-by-step I wrote on page 3, and which I've replied to in this post so you can click on it to see it here, on how to change full name for IMAP accounts. (I can't seem to find a way to link directly to the post reply.)

Thanks for the reminder about Spark! I gave that up because of lack of integration with Mac Calendar stuff, but maybe I'll give it another look!