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"New Outlook" does not have the read aloud function when you are composing/writing emails (the feature is only available to read emails you have already received or sent). This is a huge miss and a disservice to Microsoft's customers, especially those with disabilities. Numerous folks are complaining about the lack of the read aloud feature in this thread Microsoft Read Aloud for New Outlook - Microsoft Community. Can Microsoft please respond and provide a timeline for when the Read Aloud function will be available when users are composing/drafting emails? Thank you.
Using New Outlook on Windows for personal email, calendar, and contact management
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.
I agree! Why is this taking so long? Microsoft keeps pushing us to switch to the new Outlook. I will not do so until this feature is available and I'm certain I am not alone.
Could not agree more Vicki
Comming back to this request, it has been since March 2024 that someone requested to please put back the read aloud option when creating an email. Microsoft is a trillion dollar company and you still can not get this added back on. This function helps so many people with disabilities while writing over come those challenges. Please bring it back as soon as possible!!
Thank you for looking into this function and I hope it can added to the New Outlook.
As some one with dyslexia, all I need is to listen to emails to make it easier to read through emails and as I proof read to be able to listen and catch missed or flipped words. Simply Read Aloud is all that I need and I am sure that I am not the only person who benefits from this function.
With that said I appreciate that there is Immersive Reader because I am sure there are many people who can benefit from it too but it is too intense for my needs. There are extra steps to get to it, where with the old Outlook Read Aloud is on the top of the composition page. The default settings in Immersive Reader are unreadable for me (fonts are too large and too much spacing for what I need), and because I can't figure out how to change the default settings to something that is more easily readable, its so burdensome to have to change the settings for every email. With extra time and effort, I don't want to use it.
Outside of the basic functions for composing, reading, sending and organizing emails, Read Aloud is elemental to my use and ease of using the old Outlook. Without Read Aloud, the New Outlook is a frustrating experience and I will be returning to the old Outlook.
Happy to try New Outlook again if simple access to the Read Aloud function is there.
Thanks Nate, I'll give that a try.