Microsoft recently released Outlook for Windows and Mac for everyone. However, it did not have Gmail support previously. Now, the company has added support for Gmail accounts alongside Outlook accounts. It is currently in Windows Preview, for which you need to join the Office Insider Beta Channel or the Current Channel (Preview), and it is yet to release a stable update.
The new update has Microsoft’s modern codebase in the new Outlook for Windows. You can switch to the classic app or Legacy if you want by toggling on the New Look, which appears on the top navigation bar of Outlook. If you want to revert to the previous Outlook experience, uncheck the New Outlook option and then click the Revert button. Then wait for the app to revert to the Outlook Classic view.
The new web-based version of Outlook has recently rolled out to Office Insider. Make sure you have updated Outlook to the latest version. Click on Help in Outlook for Windows, and then select Check for updates. If you find any updates, download and install the latest version. You will have new visual changes with the ability to support Microsoft accounts, dynamic calendar column widths, simplified ribbon options, dynamic calendar column width, and tips in Outlook designed for a more productive and personalized experience.
Pre-Requirements
- Windows 10 version 1809 (Build 17763) or higher
- Microsoft Work, School, or Personal Account (MSA) or Gmail account
- Active Internet connectivity
If you don’t see the option to add a Gmail account, it is because this feature is currently in preview. Check back later to see if it has become available. It is expected to roll out to all users with a future update, which will be a big milestone for Microsoft. A wider rollout will begin next week, with more features coming later this year, but it’s not confirmed yet.
The new Outlook for Windows Preview email client now supports multiple accounts, including third-party accounts such as Gmail, and more accounts will be added soon. There is new Microsoft Editor integration and more features.
Other third-party account types, like Yahoo, iCloud, and others, which allow you to connect your mailbox through IMAP/POP account types, are not yet supported. These are coming to the web-based version of Outlook in the future. With the third-party account, you will also have support for Google Calendar with an a.ics file, contacts, events, and more.
How to add support for a Gmail account to Outlook for Windows Client?
- Open Outlook on your computer.
- Click on File, and then click on Add Account.
- Enter your Gmail account and then click on Connect, which will launch a Gmail account asking for your password.
- Enter your password, and then select Sign In. That’s it!
Check to add your Google account to Outlook by clicking on the Add Account button at the bottom of the folder pane.
After this, Outlook will successfully connect to your Gmail account. You will receive a warning message in your Gmail inbox confirming that a login from Internet Explorer was detected. Once you have successfully connected your Gmail to Outlook, you can start sending or receiving emails, viewing and adding contacts from within Outlook, using Microsoft Editor, which helps with detailed editing, spelling, and autocomplete suggestions, and features such as polls, delayed sending, joining Skype or Teams calls, pinning important emails, and managing your Gmail messages and contacts in Outlook. There are a lot of features that you can use, like a unified inbox, the ability to manage your Gmail, and more.
You can also now use the delay for delivery of emails up to 10 seconds, giving you the option to undo sending. There are multiple time zones and daily weather in the calendar view, along with Microsoft Editor to make quick changes or corrections with detailed editing, spelling, and autocomplete. You can send emails with features like polls to make a precise decision (available for work and school accounts), the ability to join Skype or Teams directly through the new Outlook for Windows, pin emails to view on top of the inbox, support for the calendar, adding multiple shared calendar abilities, and much more, giving you more options to collaborate.
If you encounter any errors, you can report them from the Help menu and then select Feedback. Submitting feedback will help developers fix the update and optimize the app for a seamless experience. This is expected behavior, as Outlook is still in development and may have some bugs or missing features. The new Outlook isn’t replacing the current version of the Mail and Calendar apps. There are more visual and personalization options that come with the new Calendar UI, offline support, and native ISC file type support, as it is available as an A/B test for Windows Insider currently for all eligible for the new Outlook app coming with future updates.
Apart from this, there are notable features like the Track Package, which you can use to check flights or deliveries directly from your inbox, reminders about important messages, search folders for quick and easy access to your emails, and the ability to customize your email density and view.
Microsoft Outlook is an amazing email client with flexible features and is also pleasing to the eye with attractive options for users who want a powerful and feature-rich email client, especially for those who want to manage multiple accounts. Millions of users are bringing Outlook for Windows Preview, which is starting to roll out for all Office insiders.