Why is the "New" Outlook for Windows client so awful...deliberately???

Anonymous
2024-02-26T17:21:00+00:00

While I believe I understand some of the reasoning behind the marginally improved "New" Outlook while lamenting the overall deprecated experience - namely, an effort to normalize the look and feel across the desktop, mobile and web versions - the path taken is regressive in nature, at least for those of us who've long relied upon the desktop variant to manage much of their eMail, task and scheduling affairs.

I've been comfortable with the working knowledge that detailed work associated with eMail, tasks and scheduling has been the province of the desktop client, while the mobile and web versions offered very functional and not as detailed abilities.

Now, after having lived with the "new" Outlook desktop client for months now, I can conclude that the 'improvements' to this client when compared to its current and soon former versions is far less capable and far more mobile/web like in function - overall, a deprecated experience.

One notable issue is the mere fact that one can seemingly no longer remove attachments directly from an eMail. While this may seem trivial to some, having attachments to eMail AND the ability to download same simply increases the already arduous task of managing one's documents, while increasing the overall storage footprint (since these could now be stored in at least two places), which could represent increased subscription costs over time.

Microsoft, PLEASE revisit this intended direction for the desktop client, and instead consider introducing some of the long-favored desktop client functions into the mobile and web variants, in turn genuinely introducing "new" functionality all around.

Outlook | Windows | New Outlook for Windows | For home

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

124 answers

Sort by: Newest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2025-01-25T17:53:22+00:00

    Yeah, that would be worse!

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2025-01-24T18:56:36+00:00

    only just got a smartphone so not reaaly up to date wiv how it works but i just had to change everything to gmail instead (which was a pain in the ****) JUST LEAVE THINGS ALONE (cud be worse cud get that twat Elon Musk to sort it LOL LOL LOL)

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2025-01-24T18:51:13+00:00

    cudn't agree more "IF IT AIN'T BROKE IT .........." but for gods sake don't force p;eople onto some **** other one

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2025-01-24T01:39:07+00:00

    My latest beef about this woeful program is the amount of junk mail I am receiving, and I cannot find a setting that will change a junk "filter." I am forever clicking on a junk email and reporting it - to no avail it seems as the junk just keeps on coming..

    Classic Outlook had effective junk controls. Why on earth Microsoft had to change it is beyond me. I have not yet found a single redeeming feature of the new version. But clearly, the company is taking no notice of the complaints.

    I am moving much of my "social" correspondence to WhatsApp, even though I detest the smartphone. At present I don't think Outlook users have much alternative but to soldier on.

    Was this answer helpful?

    2 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  5. Anonymous
    2025-01-23T15:12:34+00:00

    I stepped away to make a cup of tea last night, and came back 5 minutes later to find that my Outlook window had been forced to the new version. Ugh!

    Here are 2 gripes that I don't think have made the list.

    1. If I multi-select messages, there's no option (that I can find) to 'forward as attachment'. Not in the menu that appears in the Reading Pane, not if I right click, not even on the button bar. In fact, even the regular forward button is disabled when more than 1 message is selected. My only option now is to create a new email and then drag and drop the selected emails to it. ANNOYING!
    2. I'm often having to go through hundreds of alert emails. To do this efficiently, I would click on 1 message, hold down shift, and then use the arrow key to go up the email records 1 by 1. The reading pane would show me the content of the newly selected message so I could quickly review it before keying up to the next message. By doing this, I could hit delete 1 time for each batch of 20-50 messages. With the new Outlook, as soon as I select a second message the reading pane shows a menu rather than the email message. I have no choice but to select each message and delete 1 by 1, which takes forever! And, adding insult to injury, the animation on the pop-up to confirm the deletion is killing me! Do you have any idea how long it will take me to get through 100 emails 1 by 1 and deleting them 1 by 1?!

    I lied. 1 more thing I hate...

    1. What terrible use of 'real estate'! I hate the app buttons on the left column, and there's no option to move them. #&!@%

    (editing to add more stupidity)

    1. In old Outlook, after using the search bar I could click on the X on the right side of the bar to clear the search term. An X button would also appear on the ribbon so I could clear my search. In new Outlook, I see no means of clearing my search term other than manually deleting the term. I know this sounds insignificant, but all these extra clicks add up!

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments